Australian Government flags AU$12.09b defence space investment, including Indo-Pacific satcom fleet

The federal government plans to spend up to Au$12.09 billion over the course of a decade to bolster the space capabilities of the Australian Defence Force. That includes a sovereign satellite communications system covering the Indo-Pacific as part of a Au$5.2 billion to Au$7.25 billion satcom spend flagged yesterday.

Overall the government has pledged an additional Au$5.7 billion of Defence spending over the next four years and Au$50.3 billion over the decade as part of its updated Integrated Investment Program released yesterday alongside the 2024 National Defence Strategy.

The government cited a “strengthened and integrated space and cyber capability, including enhanced cyber and electronic warfare and new space-based situational awareness” as one of the key pillars of the increased spending.

The program flags an investment of Au$9 billion to Au$12 billion in “enhanced space capabilities… to provide resilient communications, surveillance and reconnaissance, and improved space domain awareness and space control.”

That includes the delivery of the “sovereign‑controlled” Australian Defence Satellite Communications system in the Indo-Pacific, which will include “communications satellites with ground stations and operations centres across Australia and an integrated SATCOM management system.”

It will also support the introduction of the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability. That will involve integration with UK and US sites to provide continuous detection, tracking and identification of objects in deep space.”

The IIP said the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability “will provide continuous global detection and observation of satellites and other space objects and increase Defence’s ability to understand and monitor threats to its space capabilities”.

A third area of space investment is measures to “enhance Defence’s space control capability to deny attempts to interfere with, or attack, Australia’s use of the space domain,” which will help ensure the Australian Defence Force “is able to continue using the space capabilities it needs to support its operations.”

The National Defence Strategy cited space and cyber capabilities as playing “a significant role in safeguarding national security, which means they are equally as important as the maritime, land and air domains that they support and enable.”

The document added: “Space is a critical enabler of military operations, supporting communications, targeting and situational awareness. Malicious cyber operations will be used by states to pursue their goals, including to support espionage and disinformation. Malign actors – both state and non-state – are improving their cyber capabilities, increasing the risk of disruptions to Australia’s critical systems, infrastructure and networks.”

Defence cyber capability investment is expected to total Au$15.3 billion to Au$20.4 billion over the course of the decade, covering both “defensive and offensive options to impose costs on malicious cyber activity in an increasingly contested cyber domain” That includes the previously announced REDSPICE program to significantly bolster the capabilities of the ASD.

The cyber spending includes “cyber terrain,” which includes measures to enhance strategic communications systems and develop “alternative position, navigation and timing capabilities,” as well as improving the capabilities of Defence networks and increasing their interoperability with those of the US and other key partners.

“Cyber is now a critical domain of conflict,” defence minister Richard Marles said yesterday during a National Press Club address to mark the launch of the strategy. “Through both the ADF and the Australian Signals Directorate, Australia genuinely punches above our weight in this domain.”

He said that the “further commitment of Au$15-20 billion over the decade will ensure that Australia builds this capability such that we remain at the forefront of developments in the cyber domain.”

Rohan Pearce, Commsday

Australasia Satellite Forum 2024

Day 2 (Selected Gov/Defence.. and much much more during this two full day high level conference and expo).

9.00 Keynote Defence: Colonel Clifford White, Director Space Services, Defence Space Command

9.40 Defence Round Table: National and Regional Security, responsibilities of planning strategic satcom procurement to meet future demand.

• Michael Hunt, Assistant Secretary for Space Systems Branch
• Don Brown, Head of Global Government, Amazon Project Kuiper
• William E Barrett, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific Aerospace Consultants
• David Ball, Regional Director Australia & New Zealand, Lockheed Martin Space

10.40 Platinum Sponsor Keynote Presentation: Ricky L. Freeman, President, KGS, LLC and Vice President for Amazon’s Kuiper Government Solutions

11.00 Networking Break

11.30 Panel Discussion: Delivering gov/mil operational secure satcom solutions for advanced capabilities

• Colonel Clifford White, Director Space Services, Defence Space Command
• Raoul Heinrichs, General Manager, Defence and National Security, Asia Pacific, SES
• John Logan, Vice President Programs, EM Solutions
• Christian Diaz, Head of Project Delivery, Av-Comm Defence & Space

12.20 Presentation: Cyber security and Emerging Threats

1.00 Networking Lunch

Much Much more

Contact: kfrench@talksatellite.com

Fullerton Hotel, Sydney
3-4 June 2024
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