After ditching a project to acquire one or more defence communication satellites, Defence is now revisiting Joint Project 9102, inviting defence companies to respond to a fresh request for information (RFI).
In its RFI documentation, Defence said SATCOM (satellite communications) remained a critical capability for the integrated, focused force and a key investment under the 2024 National Defence Strategy.
“Defence has prioritised its need for a resilient, multi-orbit capability for the Australian Defence Force in the future,” it says.
“To meet this strategic objective, SPA9102 will enhance and evolve the existing Space, Ground and Control segments of its SATCOM architecture commensurate with threat, technological evolution, global military practices and strategic priorities.”
Defence said the RFI, conducted by Defence’s Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG), sought information in relation to addressing the narrowband SATCOM component “only to complement Defence’s current understanding of industry capabilities.”
Defence is seeking a quick response – the RFI closes on August 11. Defence is also organising an industry briefing for July 10.
For SATCOM, the ADF currently relies on hosted payloads on commercial satellites the elderly Optus C-1 and Intelsat IS-22, plus the US Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) constellation.
With ever growing demand for satellite communications across the ADF, Joint Project 9102 was launched in 2017 to deliver a sovereign SATCOM capability by way of one or two satellites in geostationary orbit.
This was expensive, an estimated $7 billion for the satellites and earth stations, and highly competitive. In April 2023 Lockheed Martin was chosen as preferred tenderer over Boeing, Northrop Grumman Australia, Airbus and Optus.
Then in November last year, Defence announced it was pulling the plug, ceasing its current procurement activity with Lockheed Martin Australia for a single orbit GEO-based satellite communications system.
“Instead of a single orbit solution, Defence must instead prioritise a multi-orbit capability increasing resilience for the Australian Defence Force,” it said.
The concern was that one or more exquisite satellites in geostationary orbit could be excessively vulnerable in event of a conflict.
China has demonstrated an ability to manoeuvre satellites in close proximity to other satellites in geo orbit, a capability which could be used to neutralise US or other nations’ high value communications and surveillance satellites.
What Defence had in mind was a mix of satellites in low earth orbit, akin to the Starlink constellation, as well as satellites in medium and geo orbits.
That attracted broad criticism. Analyst Malcom Davis at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) said relying solely on satellites in a single, geostationary orbit was no longer enough for the ADF.
"Why did the government simply did not rescope the project to bring forward acquisition of low earth orbit (LEO) and medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites, thus opening greater opportunities for Australia’s commercial space sector to participate?” he said.
In RFI documents, Defence said the sole purpose of this Request for Information was to obtain information in connection with SPA9102 Narrowband satellite communications. It was not a procurement and did not form part of any Commonwealth procurement process.
Defence said it may use RFI responses for capability development and procurement planning purposes.
That would assist Defence to identify, refine and cost capability options, develop any aspect of the acquisition and sustainment implementation strategy and to inform the preparation of any future capability development.;
The SPA9102 Project had obtained First Pass Government approval but there were no other government approvals and the project may or may not proceed.