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Billed as one of the world’s leading anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare helicopters, the Royal Australian Navy took receipt of 24 MH-60R Seahawk “Romeos” between 2013 and 2014, replacing the Commonwealth’s S-70B-2 Seahawk “Bravo” fleet.
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The capability boasts a next-generation multi-sensor integrated sensor suite and was the first Australian aircraft with contemporary data link and a proprietary data fusion system, receiving support from the Joint Electronic Warfare Operational Support Unit.
First engaged to support the MH-60R over seven years ago, DEWC Services was contracted by Defence to provide mission data engineering expertise, with their partnership later growing to include capability development and technical training.
One of those critical offerings is supporting the electronic warfare system, or the “eyes” of the aircraft.
Rian Whitby, DEWC Services program manager and former Royal Australian Navy officer, explained how these advanced technologies provide an overmatch to the nation’s competitors.
“The Electronic Warfare System is essentially the eyes of the aircraft in the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing operators to see, understand, and respond to a dynamic operating environment,” he said.
“Threats and advisories continue to evolve with electronic and cyber technology advancements, with radars becoming more adaptive and software-defined.
“Our sensor systems need both the technology and the support system to respond to these adaptations, including considering the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify and responding to threats in the environment.”
At the core of the offering, Whitby explains, is the embrace of new technologies.
“DEWC Services plays an important capability advisor role, having supported the Fleet Air Arm and Navy Headquarters with key capability risk and design decisions for many years now.
“We’ve been working collaboratively with Lockheed Martin domestically and abroad, the US Navy, and the broader Royal Australian Navy to understand how we move our systems forward on that journey of embracing the significant potential of emerging technologies.”
However, operating the MH-60R raises some interesting challenges. In response, the company is currently developing specialist mission data libraries, using threat analysis and sensor engineering to enhance the capability’s situational awareness and survivability.
“Australia has responsibility for one of the largest maritime regions in the world, in addition to operating in national interests in both permissible and non-permissible environments across the world. The region, the context of operation and the threat geopolitics drive different operational priorities and demands on the Romeo’s Mission Systems,” Whitby said.
“Understandably, the operational focus and priorities for identification and response will be extremely different if providing humanitarian assistance or disaster relief to an allied nation in response to a natural disaster, when compared to support a coalition response to a hostile state actor in a declared operational environment. We develop and adapt products in an agile fashion to support the Romeo to deliver national security outcomes, regardless of the operating context.”
Recently, DEWC Services has broadened their partnership with Defence to include training and upskilling of staff, an essential role as the Commonwealth looks to acquire an additional 12 units of the MH-60R.
This new facet of the partnership includes ensuring that staff can support development of the mission data libraries, but also upskilling operational staff, air crews and operators.
“We are the experts who periodically raise and train staff as they come through the section and we are continually increasing capacity across the integrated team,” Whitby said.
“We train fellow technical staff to support these specialist mission data libraries and support operational staff to understand some of the strengths and limitations of the systems, informing the operational use of these systems to get the most out of the Romeo platform.”
According to a DEWC Services spokesperson, the company remains ready to ensure that the helicopter is able to achieve Defence’s objectives going into the future.
