Ramona Adams
BAE Systems
 and Lockheed Martin have bid on a project to modernize the Australian air force’s over-the-horizon radar system, Aviation Week reported Thursday.
Bradley Perrett writes the modernization effort for the Jindalee Operational Radar Network is scheduled to begin next year and will run through 2020.
The report said “Project Joint 2025 Phase 6” will cover upgrade work on JORN’s signal generator, receivers, signal processing equipment, software and command-and-control system.
Industry sources told Aviation Week that the implementation of JORNÂ upgrades will cost “hundreds of millions” of Australian or U.S. dollars and the 35-year sustainment effort will lead to a similar expense.
Both BAE and Lockheed supported the project’s fifth phase that aimed to boost the speed, sensitivity and precision of the network’s sensors and integrate them into the C2 system of Australia’s air force, the report stated.
JORNÂ consists of three over-the-horizon radar systems and works to provide air and maritime surveillance for Australia’s national surveillance effort.
