JP9102

Space has been vital to Australia’s national interest for decades

Early investments in overcoming the tyranny of distance through enhanced communications have expanded to include situational awareness and remote sensing for defence, agriculture, climate and security with more applications added frequently. Sensor augmentation, Position, Navigation and Timing are essential services within the Australian Defence, civilian and business communities. This growing dependence upon space platforms has prompted conversations on sovereignty, the reliance upon other nations, and the desire to be a contributor instead of a consumer of space related services. Northrop Grumman Australia aims to contribute to developing the Australian Space industry through continued integrated investment in Australian STEM programs and engagement with Universities and small to medium enterprise. Leveraging Northrop Grumman Corporation’s 60 years of space heritage, Northrop Grumman is well placed to help Australia develop, sustain, and grow truly sovereign space capabilities.

JP9102 | Resilient. Proven. Sovereign.

Defence Joint Project 9102 will provide the next generation sovereign satellite communication component of the Australian Defence SATCOM System. Northrop Grumman, with our Australian strategic partners, was pleased to respond to the JP9102 tender providing a scalable, sovereign, Defence centric solution facilitating the exploitation of a fully networked 5th generation force in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment.

Enduring benefits include growth and sustainment of an Australian space enterprise, vibrant local space industry and sovereign control, operation and sustainment of this essential mission system for the Joint Force.

• Strategic Partnership With Commonwealth: Northrop Grumman supporting the Customer’s joint mission with expertise and experience.
• Northrop Grumman End-to-End Space Capabilities: 60+ years of space heritage and leadership in national security missions embraces innovation with purpose, it’s in our DNA.
• Accelerated Sovereign Industry Development: Leverages our global heritage and combines with local capability to enhance and accelerate development of Australian sovereign capability

Partnering for Australia

Global and Australian leaders in space communications — Northrop Grumman, Inmarsat, L3Harris, AECOM, Blacktree Technology, EM Solutions and Vocus — will draw on decades of collective experience to invest in and grow an Australian sovereign satellite communications capability, increase resiliency of military satellite communications for the future battlespace and create jobs across Australia.

Inmarsat will collaborate with Northrop Grumman Australia to deliver an Integrated Control Segment that provides the Commonwealth with flexibility across commercial and military SATCOM networks.

L3Harris will provide in-country, ground station capability including the Australian Wide Multi-Band Terminal (WMBT), pronounced WOMBAT, delivering exponential growth in capability and upgradeability over existing systems, while occupying the same ground footprint.

AECOM’s support will include designing Satellite Ground Stations and Satellite Operations Centres, while L3 Harris will manufacture Wombat terminals locally. This will boost sovereign manufacturing and technical know-how for a sovereign satellite industry in Australia to create up to 100 additional jobs for supporting small to medium enterprises.

Vocus, an Australian sovereign terrestrial communications infrastructure provider who own and operate a 30,000km fibre network, will provide robust communications links, ensuring additional high reliability, secure and high performance connectivity beyond the Defence Terrestrial Communications Network (DTCN).

Blacktree Technology will leverage 20 years of Australian know-how to provide the High Mobility UHF ground segment to the solution offering, with Australian design and manufacturing company EM Solutions on board to offer certification services to the team.

EM Solutions, an Australian design and manufacturing company, will provide certification services to the team.