Fujitsu has been given a $29.8 million contract by the Australian Department of Defence to integrate and support IT systems on the MC-55A Peregrine aircraft. This is a component of the wider AIR555 Phase 1 project, which aims to improve the airborne ISREW (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) and electronic warfare (ISREW) capabilities of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). From October 2024 to December 2026, Fujitsu will offer services with an emphasis on IT components essential to the aircraft’s mission.
The contract includes designing, integrating, and testing the IT systems of the aircraft. Fujitsu will also support mission system security accreditation and IT facilities design at the RAAF Base Edinburgh in Adelaide. The MC-55A Peregrine is a modified Gulfstream G550. It is central to the AIR555 project. The project has a total budget of over $2.46 billion.
AIR555, a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program with the U.S. Air Force, aims to provide next-generation ISREW capability, crucial for Australia’s fifth-generation warfighting platforms. Notwithstanding setbacks caused by supply chain issues and technical challenges, the project remains an essential component of Australia’s security strategy.
The Australian government approved the project in 2015 and granted a second approval in 2017.
The four Peregrine aircraft will play a crucial role in supporting the Australian Defence Force (ADF). They will provide real-time intelligence and deliver threat alerts. Additionally, the aircraft will support wider ADF operations by helping to produce Intelligence Mission Data.
Despite ongoing engineering risks and delays in aircraft delivery, the Defense Department remains confident that they will complete the project within the allocated budget. The construction team finished the base’s original facilities in late 2022. Following this, RAAF Base Edinburgh built a simulator facility in early 2023. This facility will aid in ground system integration and testing. Further flight testing and technical efforts are expected to provide information on when full operational capability will be achieved.
The project is classified, therefore Defense hasn’t shared any further information on the contract.(PDF)
