Keeping watch

National Air Support’s new Coastwatch contract

The world’s biggest coastwatch task just got bigger. Not in geographical size – it still covers the huge 15 million square kilometre exclusive economic zone extending 200nm (370km) from the Australian coast – but in the capabilities of the new National Air Support operation for the Australian Customs Service.

Last year the Adelaide based National Air Support arm of major British aerospace group Cobham Plc won the arduous contest for the $1 billion, 12 year Customs contract from international rivals, notably shortlisted Raytheon, retaining the manned aircraft Coastwatch operation first snared in 1995 by the then division of locally owned National Jet Systems.