Ross Wilkers
Raytheon has delivered a second close-in weapon system to Australia for that country’s newest air warfare destroyer, one year after handing over the first weapon to Australia.
Australia will install the Phalanx Block 1B radar and gun system on the Brisbane destroyer and use the system to acquire, track and destroy enemy threats, the company announced Friday.
The company holds a direct commercial sale contract with Australia, where it delivered the first Phalanx in late 2012 and will deliver the final system in 2014 in Sydney.
Rick Nelson, vice president of Raytheon’s naval and area mission defense product line, said the company updated the sailor-to-machine interface to help defend against extended-range air and surface threats.
Phalanx contains a computer-controlled radar and 20-milimeter gun system for combating other ship defense systems.
Nearly 25 navies around the world use Phalanx and the company has built and deployed than 890 systems.
