The government has announced it has given first-pass approval for the Land 200 Phase 3 Battlefield Command Systems project which intends to transform command and control of land forces into a modern networked system.
In a media release announcing the approval on 13 July, Defence said that the investment will improve the security and performance of Defence’s tactical communications network and battle management systems.
The new battlefield command system will increase the speed and quality of decision-making, as well as improve communication and coordination within Army and between the land, sea, air, space and cyber elements of the Australian Defence Force.
Defence calls Land 200 'the heart of Australia’s Army military digital evolution' and says the project comprises of two major sub systems: the battle management system and tactical communications network.
A battle management system is a digital planning and monitoring system with a battle map displaying combated related data including overlays, orders, messages and blue and red force tracks, Defence describes. Meanwhile, the tactical communications network will provide a mobile and highly secure communications infrastructure that provides voice and data distribution of the battle management system and other combat systems such as the Army Field Artillery Tactical Data System.
Defence will issue an open tender for an integration partner for the Battlefield Command Systems project in 2023, providing opportunities for Australian companies to fulfil the role.
A second tranche of the project is scheduled to deliver enhancements to the tactical communications network and consider additional battle management systems.
Defence said further details on Land 200 Phase 3 will be published on the AusTender website.