Australian-owned Daronmont Technologies has secured a contract to support the Mobile Control and Reporting Centre stationed at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Darwin.

The A$65m ($45.4m) five-year contract will allow the Australian Defence Force and its allied forces to draw on the country’s expertise for improving surveillance and air battlespace capability.

It will also create ten new job opportunities boosting the local economy.

The Mobile Control and Reporting Centre is based at RAAF Base Darwin, while the simulation system and supporting communications assets are stationed across multiple RAAF sites in Australia.

Previously, the Mobile Control and Reporting Centre was deployed to Afghanistan in 2007-09.

Later in December 2018, it was deployed to Papua New Guinea to support operation APEC Assist.

Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said: “This contract will enable the mobile control and reporting centre to be a deployable system providing vital surveillance, battlespace management, and communications services.

“With over 96% Australian industry content, Daronmont’s team of 35 highly skilled software, electronics, IT, mechanical and systems engineers are supporting defence’s air operations and interoperability with allied and coalition forces.”

Earlier this month, Lockheed Martin Australia signed a new contract with the Australian Department of Defence for ongoing sustainment of the Tactical Air Defence Radar System (TADRS). The RAAF is using the system for air surveillance operations.

Last month, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra and the RAAF have launched a miniature satellite into space. Known as the M2 Pathfinder satellite, the CubeSat represents a major step in the development of Australian Defence Force (ADF) space systems.