Australia receives U.S. radars

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CANBERRA, Australia, April 23 (UPI) -- Australia's military has received three AN/SPQ-9B radars from Northrop Grumman for its Hobart class air warfare destroyers.

The radars were obtained through the U.S. Foreign Military Sale program and are the first to be supplied to a foreign country.

"The AN/SPQ-9B radar is located on the main mast of the destroyers and can track over 200 radar contacts simultaneously with a high level of accuracy," said Minister for Defense Materiel Jason Clare.

"It will be used to search and track targets immediately above the sea surface, such as low-flying aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles."

Clare said receipt of the radar units was a milestone in the AWD program, which involves the construction of three vessels using a Spanish naval design.

Software for the ships' gun weapon systems have been received and the combat system is currently being tested in the United States, the minister said.

Each of Northrop Grumman's The AN/SPQ-9Bs cost the Australian government about $10.7 million.