Airbus is promoting its proposal for Australia’s new military satellite communications direct to the politicians, pointing to the benefits to local businesses and skills in their electorates.
That follows release of a report commissioned by Airbus and prepared by consultants Deloitte Access Economics, which finds the Airbus proposal for JP9102 – the $3 billion project to create a sovereign military satellite communication capability for Australia – will deliver an additional $437 million benefit to the economy.
Airbus reps have been talking space and JP9102 to federal politicians from all sides during the budget session of parliament.
“The key focus from most of them is an understanding of the need to respond really quickly to the threat and build the capability, but very importantly on building the skills and building the space industry,” Richard Franklin, Airbus Defence and Space UK Managing Director, told ADM.
He said this seemed to be resonating powerfully with the politicians.
“The fact that Airbus has done this in other countries already gives us a sense of experience that really comes through as we discuss it with them.”
“Nobody else in the world does this in terms of operating milsatcom. Some people build them, some people help support them but we do the end to end solution right from the start. That’s the experience we want to bring to Australia,” he said.
Franklin said space was relatively new to Australia and the space side of the Airbus business was less well known.
Martin Rowse, Airbus Strategic Lead For JP 9102, said the Deloitte study showed the benefits, from actual jobs to creation of additional national space capabilities.
“That’s across all the different areas which is the value from the creation of the graduate scholarships, the different school projects all the way through to the apprenticeships. It’s that total additional value that can be created.”
Airbus, through its Team Maier, proposes a sovereign satcom system akin the UK MOD’s Skynet and based on the latest Skynet 6A satellite.
Airbus points to its experience in the UAE where it developed the country’s satcom from an open desert site to full sovereign capability in seven years.
Franklin said this was a commitment Airbus had made as part of its tender to the Commonwealth.
“We have over 40 teaming agreements in place now with companies and universities to drive these projects forward. It’s not about Airbus’ presence in Australia. This is all about supporting companies, small medium and universities to really take advantage of the growing space industry,” he said.
Franklin said the benefits would appear speedily as the project needed to ramp up quickly. Three interns, chosen from a field of 200, head off to the UK in January.
“What we are trying to do is ensure that we are shovel ready so that when the Commonwealth makes a decision, we are able to move forward as quickly as we possibly can,” Rowse said.
“We recognise that time is really critical in this projects because of the changing environment in the Indo-Pacific.”
Five companies are bidding for JP9102, with industry anticipating the Commonwealth will down-select to a shortlist of two by end of year, with a final decision in 2023.