Australia wants sovereign SATCOM space
Australia wants a sovereign SATCOM capability. (Australian Department of Defence)
Australia is demanding a sovereign SATCOM capability to wean itself off reliance on foreign powers.
To reduce reliance on its American ally, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) launched a tender on 22 April for a sovereign SATCOM capability.
Issued under Joint Project 9102 (JP9102), the RfT covers delivery, through-life support and space, ground and control segments of a Sovereign SATCOM Component (SSC), which will provide Australia coverage at home and of the Pacific and Indian oceans.
The RfT said the SSC will increase the ‘capacity, resilience, agility and flexibility’ of the ADF’s military SATCOM capability.
The ADF currently relies upon a SATCOM capability acquired through JP2008, including the US military’s Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) network
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