Given that video communications are integrated into robots, soldiers and unmanned aerial vehicles, network-centric warfare is becoming the organising principle of war fighting, and frontline demands for bandwidth are rising at a rapid rate, for the period 1 January to 30 Jun 2010, what did the Australian Defence Force do and how much did it spend on:

(a)   establishing a network centric-warfare capability; and

(b)   addressing the issue of increased bandwidth.

(a)   The Australian Defence Force’s Network Centric Warfare capability is being delivered primarily through the Defence Capability Plan. Defence was engaged in the following network centric warfare activities from 1 January to 30 June 2010:

(i)   The Network Centric Warfare Roadmap 2009 released in October 2009 has commenced implementation. This Roadmap focuses on the Australian Defence Force’s transition to a networked force, and is aligned with the Defence White Paper 2009 and the Defence Capability Plan 2009.

(ii)   Over the period there have been a number of developments supporting network centric warfare milestones in the Network Centric Warfare Roadmap 2009: a. Defence has met initial operating capability of the Networked Maritime Task Units milestone through testing Link 16 on the FFG class through participation in the multi-national exercise RIMPAC 2010; b. Defence has continued to utilise increased wide band satellite communications bandwidth to support major fleet units; c. Defence has increased its utilisation of commercial bearers (e.g. Telstra Next G) for Minor War Vessels when operating in vicinity of Australian coastline; d. Defence has commenced delivery of the Vigilare Air Defence system and the Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft. The ability of Air Force to maximise these capabilities will be realised through the delivery of improved communications capabilities with future satellite communications and Battlespace communications technologies; e. Defence has entered into contract with Elbit Systems for the provision of a mounted Battle Management System - Command and Control under Project Land 75 Phase 3.4 and a dismounted Battle Management System - Command and Control under Project Land 125 Phase 3A.; f. Defence has established a contract with Harris Corporation for the provision of radios to support Project Land 75 Phase 3.4, Project Land 125 Phase 3A and Project Land 17 Phase 1B. This contract will provide land forces with advanced command and control systems that will deliver situational awareness, digital messaging and enhanced tactical logistic and intelligence management. This capability will enable the digitisation of the Army’s 7th Brigade in Brisbane; and g. Defence signed an Ultra High Frequency Memorandum of Understanding with the United States of America in March 2010 to share satellite capacity. As a result, Australia will share its Ultra High Frequency capacity over the Indian Ocean Region with the United States. This will benefit Australian and United States operations in Afghanistan. In return, the United States will share its Ultra High Frequency capacity in the Pacific Ocean Region.

(iii)   A networked Australian Defence Force capability also requires the preparation of personnel to operate in a networked battlespace. This is being progressed through changes to doctrine, organisation, training and education with an emphasis on ‘learn by doing’. As part of this process the Services’ New Generation Navy, the Adaptive Army and the Air Force Adaptive Culture programs continue to prepare personnel to operate in a networked battlespace. Additionally, there have been improvements in the Defence Learning Environment and the Defence People Strategy (People in Defence) was released in December 2009.

(iv)   The Rapid Prototyping, Development and Evaluation organisation, under Capability Development Group, has facilitated 10 Defence and industry activities to increase networked capability. $8.646 million has been directly attributed to developing and implementing network centric warfare through the Rapid Prototyping, Development and Evaluation organisation and the Network Centric Warfare Development Directorate in Capability Development Group. Expenditure on projects within the Defence Capability Plan is not included in the summation of expenditure attributed to the establishment of a networked Australian Defence Force capability.

(b)   The requirement to meet frontline demands for increased bandwidth is being addressed through various projects to acquire satellite capabilities and enhanced tactical networks, including data link communications for Australian Defence Force elements and weapon systems. On the specific matter of increasing satellite bandwidth, Defence was engaged in the following activities from 1 January to 30 June 2010:

(i)   Defence successfully certified the interim ground station west capability on the Australian west coast to provide access to the Wideband Global SATCOM system.

(ii)   Defence continued milestone payments for the sixth Wideband Global SATCOM satellite.

(iii)   Defence continues the development of a long term ground station capability on the Australian west coast.

(iv)   Defence completed the wideband SATCOM terminals in Major Fleet Units in 2009 and has continued to develop the ashore support infrastructure and land based variants.

(v)   Defence continued the acquisition of an Ultra High Frequency payload on an IS-22 commercial satellite over the Indian Ocean Region, which will become operational in 2012.

(vi)   Defence has signed a Memorandum of Understanding which allows for the sharing of Ultra High Frequency SATCOM capacity with the United States.

(vii)   Defence updated its leasing costs with INMARSAT in Feb 2010 with an annual increase in costs of $0.14 million.

(viii)   The total cost of increasing satellite bandwidth within the period was $107.5 million.

(ix)   Consumer Price Index increases in ongoing Defence spectrum license costs plus new apparatus spectrum licenses amount to an increase of $0.22 million.