• (L-R) Stephen Jewell, business development manager, Optus Satellite, Stu Blackwell, manager, communications programs, Northrop Grumman Australia and Colin Cooper, General Manager, Government and Defence, ViaSat Australia. Credit: Northrop Grumman
    (L-R) Stephen Jewell, business development manager, Optus Satellite, Stu Blackwell, manager, communications programs, Northrop Grumman Australia and Colin Cooper, General Manager, Government and Defence, ViaSat Australia. Credit: Northrop Grumman
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Northrop Grumman Corporation has partnered with ViaSat and Optus to offer the ADF a proven solution for its utilisation of the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) system.
 
Under the team’s response to the ADF’s tender request, Australia has the opportunity to gain access to Northrop Grumman’s Satellite Communications Operations and Planning Element (SCOPE) network management system, which is the only managing, operating and monitoring system that has already been successfully integrated with the WGS. 
 
Northrop Grumman’s network management system has been employed by US Army Strategy Command for more than 15 years, and is critical to the successful operation of all six WGS satellites currently in orbit.
 
“Australia has invested approximately $1 billion in WGS communications capabilities and [the] offering will give [it] the ability to fully utilise this capability at the same standard as the US military,” CEO Northrop Grumman Australia Ian Irving said. 
 
“This program will form the core of the ADF’s sovereign capability in network management.”
 
The team would also offer the proven performance of the ViaSat dual-band satellite terminals. ViaSat recently delivered 10 complete ground stations for Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN) program.
 
“Since 2012 ViaSat has been working with NBN Co. as the prime contractor for the NBN Long Term Satellite Service ground system, which is a very similar system to that required by the ADF” ViaSat Australia general manager (Government and Defence) Colin cooper said. 
 
Vice President Optus Satellite Paul Sheridan said “Optus has been successfully operating Australian satellites for over three decades. Optus’ long term relationship with the ADF through our C1 satellite positions us well to complement the team’s impressive capabilities moving forward”.
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