DigitalGlobe signs contract with Australia
DigitalGlobe has signed a Direct Access Program (DAP) contract with the Australian Department of Defence (DoD), the company announced on 15 August.
The multi-year agreement will give the Australian government access to DigitalGlobe’s commercial satellite imaging constellation in support of defence and intelligence missions.
As a DAP partner the Australian DoD will be able to directly task and download imagery in real-time to its ground station from all five DigitalGlobe satellites.
The multi-satellite ground system will be supplied by DigitalGlobe partner MDA, to support tasking, reception and precision processing of imagery from the satellite constellation. Ground antenna systems that will enable direct tasking and downlink capabilities will be supplied by ViaSat.
In June 2017, the DoD announced some $500 million in funding to improve Australia’s space-based ISR capabilities via the accessing of commercial satellite services. At that time the DoD said that the capability would support Australia’s defence priorities including defence operations, border protection and humanitarian missions.
The contract is worth $83 million to DigitalGlobe over four years, beginning in January 2018.
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