Lockheed Martin selected as preferred bidder for JP9102

Lockheed Martin Australia has been selected by the Department of Defence as the preferred bidder for Joint Project 9102 Ph.1, the $6.9 billion Australian Defence Satellite Communications System. JP9102 will provide the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with a sovereign military satellite communications (MILSATCOM) system defined by its extensibility, agility and resilience.

Defence says Lockheed Martin Australia will progress to the next stage of the Defence procurement process, which includes engaging in collaborative tender clarification and improvement activities. The company will leverage its deep experience in space-based mission solutions and resilient satellite communications networks for its JP9102 offer.

Lockheed Martin Australia’s JP9102 bid defeated rival bids from four other defence primes: Airbus Defence & Space, Boeing Defence Australia, Northrop Grumman Australia and Optus.

The new satellite communication system will include:

• New Defence-controlled and -operated geo-stationary communications satellites
• Multiple ground stations across Australia
• Integrated Satellite Communications Management System
• Two new satellite communications operations centres

The Head of Air Defence and Space Systems Division, Air Vice-Marshal David Scheul, said the project would deliver Australia’s first sovereign-controlled satellite communication system over the Indo-Pacific ocean regions.

“Currently across Defence there is up to 89 capabilities which depend on satellite communications,” Air Vice-Marshal Scheul said. “Once delivered, the new system will increase the resilience, agility and flexibility of Defence’s military satellite capability.”

Lockheed Martin has assembled a diverse team of Australian companies including Inovor Technologies, EM Solutions, AV-Comm, Linfox, Shoal Group, Ronson Gears, Calytrix Technologies, Conscia, Clearbox Systems, DXC and Blacktree Technology to deliver ground and control segments and beyond for JP9102.

The company has also partnered with the Victorian Government to establish Victoria as the engineering and technical hub for the company’s JP9102 solution, an investment that will create more than 200 advanced space industry jobs in the state.

“This capability will provide the Australian Defence Force with robust connectivity and reliable information when and where they need it, and by extension, contribute further to the growth and development of Australia’s defence and space industries,” said Warren McDonald, Chief Executive, Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand.

A significant amount of the content for Lockheed Martin’s proposed JP9102 solution will be via Australian small and medium enterprises and the company is committed to knowledge sharing and technology transfer, said McDonald.

As another example of the priority placed on workforce development, Lockheed Martin Australia recently launched a space-focused education program with STEM Punks, a STEM education initiative to educate, upskill and inspire Australia’s future workforce.