Known as the JP 2008 3F Program, the $94-million, performance-based contract will require BAE Systems' Joint Business Unit to:
• Construct and deliver a new Satellite Ground Station in Western Australia (SGS-West), fitted with two X-band Earth Terminals (ETs) and a single Ka-band ET, to increase the ADF's survivability and mission coverage needs,
• Upgrade the Ground Segment Operations Centre (GSOC) and backup GSOC (BGSOC) to support the integration of the SGS-West into the ADSCC ground segment - this includes the provision of an integrated network management system at SGS-West and SGS-East (HMAS Harman); and
• Manage through life support for the expanded ADSCC ground segment (SGS-East, SGS-West, GSOC and BGSOC) under a performance-based framework.
The new satellite ground station and network management system, due to be operational by 2013, will interface deployed forces accessing the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) system with the Defence Wide Area Network, and Australian Defence headquarters and support elements.
Kim Scott, Director of the Joint Business Unit, said the contract win was an important milestone that cemented the company's satellite communications capability.
"Coming on top of our other defence SATCOM contracts, this selection brings us one big step closer to our goal of becoming the ADF's capability partner in this domain," he said.