New Zealand aims to upgrade defense system

• Tweet

WELLINGTON, New Zealand, March 1 (UPI) -- New Zealand's Ministry of Defense plans to upgrade its navy's ANZAC class of frigates and has issued a request for tender.

A Request for Information has also been issued for modernizing the underwater intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities of its P-3K2 Orion aircraft.

ANZAC class frigates of the New Zealand navy require upgrades to combat systems, the ministry said, and under the navy's Frigate Systems Upgrade project a number of replacements and additions are being considered.

Among them: an improved radar suite, including an Identification, Friend or Foe system; infrared search-and- track/optronics; electronic support measures suites; and communications electronic support measures.

Also under consideration are combat management systems, tactical data links, a local area air defense missile system, and a torpedo self-defense system.

The Ministry of Defense said it is also seeking information on potential solution for restoration of the UWISR capabilities of its six P-3K2 Orion aircraft.

The RFI responses from qualified companies would be in the areas of aircraft systems, ground-based systems and installation and would include a replacement for the aircrafts' existing acoustics system; magnetic anomaly detection system; post-mission acoustic analysis and the integration and testing of the complete UWISR solution.