New dishes for Defence
Australia’s deployed military forces will receive a major communications boost following the award of a $223 million contract to Northrop Grumman Australia for the acquisition, construction and support of a new satellite ground station.
The station will be built at Kapooka in New South Wales and will include an integrated network management system.
Subject to Parliamentary Works Committee approval, Australian company Hansen and Yuncken will start construction later this year.
When completed in mid-2021, the facility will be serviced by a small number of maintenance personnel and operated remotely.
“The satellite ground station will enable deployed forces across the Pacific and Indian Ocean region to connect to Defence’s strategic information networks back in Australia,” said Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne.
“The Kapooka ground station will operate in conjunction with a satellite ground station in Western Australia to provide Defence with the level of wideband satellite communications, capacity and survivability needed in the future,” added Minister for Defence Marise Payne.
“The network management system will introduce best practice planning and management of all Defence’s wideband satellite communications assets.
“The system will enable reduced operational response times for establishing and restoring satellite communications services, significantly helping deployed forces,” Minister Payne said.
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