Adelaide-based Silentium Defence has secured a $7.4 million contract from Defence to supply its MAVERICK M-series passive radar system to the Australian Army for capability development and evaluation activities.
Silentium’s MAVERICK M-series is a high-performance, low-power, soldier-portable, covert radar system for air defence, land, and maritime surveillance.
“The battlespace continues to evolve, and we see greater penetration of new, unmanned aerial systems alongside traditional threats that put our troops, operations, and assets in harm’s way," Dr James Palmer, CEO Silentium Defence said.
“Comprehensive situational awareness with sufficient time to act has never been more critical.
“Our MAVERICK M-series passive radar system, designed in collaboration with Defence provides that awareness without compromise. This is true world class technology, developed right here in Australia.”
A complementary or replacement technology to traditional surveillance systems, MAVERICK M-series passive radars use existing energy in the environment (e.g. broadcast television signals) as their transmission source. As it does not emit, it does not highlight the user’s presence or create a radiation hazard, making it quick, safe, and easy to deploy, even in densely populated environments.
Unlike traditional active radar systems, passive radar does not require spectrum allocation to operate which makes it more cost effective to deploy in a world where spectrum is increasingly expensive and elusive to secure.