L-3 Awarded $38.5 Million Contract to
Supply SATCOM Terminals to the Australian Defence Force
21 May 2013
L-3 Communications has been awarded a $38.5 million contract
from the Commonwealth of Australia to supply 51 Hawkeye™
III Lite 1.2-meter Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs),
as well as training and long-term sustainment services. This
program is one of a number of coordinated projects that will
enable the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to deploy an
integrated wideband satellite communications capability.
Specifically, the contract will deliver one type of a family of
transportable land terminals that will optimize the early use of
Australia’s SATCOM system and provide communication services
where commercial satellite resources are limited. The capability
is scheduled for delivery in 2014.
“This is L-3’s first entry into the Australian SATCOM market and
this immediate success recognizes the quality of our products and
solutions,” said John Mega, president of L-3’s Microwave Group.
“Australia is an emerging market for WGS-qualified terminals and we
look forward to establishing a long-term partnership with the ADF
and other local suppliers.”
This contract is a significant win for L-3 in Australia and
demonstrates the cross-business synergy that exists between L-3
divisions, specifically L-3 Oceania and L-3 GCS. For this program,
L-3 GCS developed and will supply the Hawkeye III systems, which
will provide ARSTRAT-certified Ka- and X-Band, as well as commercial
Ku-Band capability, in a very compact, fly-away package. L-3’s
Australian division, L-3 Oceania, is leading the execution of the
contract, which includes system deliveries over a 12-month period,
followed by an initial three-year sustainment program that engages
other Australian subcontractors in the process.
