BAE Systems Australia will undertake a $1bn upgrade to Australia’s Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) which detects and tracks air and maritime targets from Australia’s northern approaches.

JORN is a network of three remote OTHR radars located at Laverton (Western Australia), Longreach (Queensland) and Alice Springs (Northern Territory). The system provides wide area surveillance at ranges of 1,000 to 3,000km, and plays a vital role in supporting the Australian Defence Force’s air and maritime operations, border protection, disaster relief and search and rescue operations.

JORN is controlled and operated by the Royal Australian Air Force from the JORN Coordination Centre at the RAAF Base in Edinburgh, north of Adelaide, alongside BAE Systems Australia headquarters which are also located at Edinburgh.

The upgrade is part of Project AIR 2025 Phase 6 and will ensure that JORN continues to protect Australia’s borders beyond 2040. The upgrade to the over-the-horizon radar (OTHR) network is designed to ‘open’ the system’s architecture enabling the insertion of next-generation technologies and extend the operational life of JORN to beyond 2042.

At its peak, the $1bn upgrade will require a highly technical workforce, supporting more than 500 highly technical jobs. The project will take 10 years to complete and is part of the Turnbull Government’s commitment to modernise the Australian Defence Force.

BAE Systems is partnering with Raytheon Australia, Daronmont Technologies and RCR Tomlinson to deliver the advancements and maintain the JORN capability. More than 20 specialist Australian SMEs will participate in the supply chain to ensure broader Australian industry participation and a strong focus on innovation to support the upgrade.