The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is planning to include commercial satellites as a crucial component of its future communications architecture. Under the JP 2008 program, approximately 507 million Australian dollars ($337 million USD) were allocated for defence satellite communications from 2016 to 2019. Starting in 2019, a new program, JP 9102, will take over until 2029, with a budget of 2 to 3 billion Australian dollars. While the ADF relies heavily on the US Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) for its primary defence communications network, it is seeking greater resilience and redundancy through hybrid solutions that incorporate commercial satellite communications. This approach aims to encompass a wide range of arrangements, from outright ownership to lease agreements, hosted payloads, and Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs).

Prerequisites:

• Institutional & political interest and support for utilising SatCom technologies for services 

• Inter-ministerial working group

• Access to existing or planned SatCom capacity (domestic, allied, or procured)

• Cybersecurity, data protection, and continuity planning

• Trusted coordination mechanism between defense, space/ICT, and civil agencies

• Compliance with international security standards and alliance requirements

• Partner support as needed

Cost:

• Ballpark: USD 20M–150M (depending on scope, whether national or regional) + USD 5M–20M/yr (OPEX)

• Includes: stakeholder consultations and governance design, establishment of a secure management hub or coordination centre, cybersecurity systems and encryption standards, integration of civilian and military SatCom networks, development of standardized operating procedures, training and exercises, international liaison and certification processes

Timeframe:

• Overall: 36–84 mo

• Phase: scoping & stakeholder mapping (6–12 mo), governance and security framework development (12–18 mo), infrastructure setup and integration (12–24 mo), operationalization, training & certification (12–30 mo)

Pros:

• Resource Optimization - Reduce duplication and leverage current resources more effectively, reducing waste and maximizing utility

• Enhanced Interoperability - Facilitate seamless coordination between civilian and military SatCom systems, improving joint mission effectiveness and reducing communication silo

• Cost Efficiency - Enable shared infrastructure and procurement strategies, lowering overall costs for both sectors through economies of scale.

Considerations:

• Regulatory Misalignment - Encounters challenges aligning regulatory standards when the civilian and military sectors have different objectives and priorities.

• Integration Limitations - Integrating commercial satellite services with military equipment may require additional efforts