EM Solutions wins RAN SATCOM support services contract

Australia’s Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) has selected EM Solutions to carry out Introduction into Service and Support Services for the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) existing fleet of Cobra Maritime Satellite Communications (SATCOM) terminals for a period of three years, through to August 2025.

The terminals were built by EM Solutions which won the Pacific 2019 SME Innovation Award for their design. EM Solutions is now part of the Electro Optic System (EOS) Group.

The contract which is initially valued at approximately $25.7 million, gives CASG the ability to purchase additional terminals as needed to meet requirements for new ship builds and for the provision of enhanced SATCOM capabilities to existing ships.

In recent years, EM Solutions’ Cobra terminals have been purchased and installed through various individual ADF project offices. This contract, however, provides for consistent sparing, support and training packages to be developed across the entire installed base.

The awarding of the contract represents a vote of confidence in the capabilities of Australia’s sovereign defence industry and will enable EM Solutions to add further value to its world-leading products and systems.

The development and implementation of the contracted services will occur at EM Solutions’ Brisbane facility, enhancing Australian Industry Capability in the area of maritime SATCOM.

This will also assist in EM Solutions’ development into a full-service company as it continues to successfully deliver Australian developed and manufactured technology to allied navies around the world.

EM Solutions’ Vice President of Programs, John Logan, said, “The trust the ADF has shown in EM Solutions to supply and support its naval SATCOM requirements is a credit to all of our team who have enabled our business to achieve this milestone.

“This contract is a marker for our further growth into a support and service organisation, in addition to our better-known capabilities in product design and manufacturing.

“Our journey to this point comes on the back of the tremendous support the company has received from the Australian Department of Defence in developing and commercialising its Cobra and next generation maritime SATCOM terminals.”

In parallel with the negotiation of the contract, and against the backdrop of pandemic-related global supply chain challenges, EM Solutions has continued to expand its global presence. The company is currently delivering a substantial order backlog to five allied navies in Europe and the Middle East as well as preparing for the first sea trials for its new Fleet maritime terminal, which has been developed under EM Solutions’ most recent Defence Innovation Hub contract.