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Tuesday, 8 May 2012
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Defence: Network Centric Warfare

(Question No. 1602)

Senator Johnston asked the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 5 March 2012:

(1) 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 July to 31 December 2011, 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?

Senator Chris Evans: The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

Network Centric Warfare Capability Policy and Plans

(1) A similar question has previously been asked under Senate Question on Notice No.760 for the period 1 January to 30 June 2011 and a response was provided. The response to this question provides updated information for the requested period of 1 July to 31 December 2011 and should also be read in conjunction with the response to Senate Question on Notice No.484, which covered the period 1 July to 31 December 2010. Defence was engaged in the following network centric warfare activities from 1 July to 31 December 2011.

The Network Centric Roadmap is in the process of being updated to reflect the change from a vulnerable 'centric' approach to that of a distributed Network Enabled approach. This facilitates redundancy and reversionary modes in time of loss or disconnection due to enemy action or natural causes, and has been the focus of much activity in the maritime domain.

Navy Information Warfare Master Plan. Navy is finalising development of the Plan ($245, 000).

Network Centric Capability and Increased Bandwidth

On the matter of increasing bandwidth, Defence was engaged in the following activities from 1 July to 30 December 2011.

Joint Project 2089 (Tactical Information Exchange Domain)

- Phase 2 - Risk reduction program for the implementation of Variable Message Format (VMF) into the F/A-18A/B 'Classic' Hornet has been completed. Around $6.5 million has been spent on this program.

- Phase 2B - Implementation of VMF into the F/A-18A/B 'Classic' Hornet continues. Around $12 million has been spent on this program in the period.

- Phase 2A - Implementation of advanced Tactical Data Links (comprising of Link 16 and VMF) into the ANZAC Class frigate and shore facilities. Around $41 million has been spent on this program in the period.

- Phase 2A - Implementation of an Initial Common Support Infrastructure as a Proof of Capability to manage the NCW networks. Around $15 million has been spent on this program.

Tactical Information Exchange Domain (TIED)

The DMO Tactical Information Exchange Integration Office (TIEIO), operating the Australian Defence Force Tactical Data Link Authority (ADFTA), has been providing technical and engineering integration support to the ADF TIED and NCW objectives (approximately $5.0 million in the period).

Joint Project 2008 (ADF Satellite Communications) has delivered the following:

- Phase 3F - Defence continues the development of a long term satellite ground station capability on the Australian West coast ($7.2 million);

- Phase 3H - Delivered trial equipment to enable a trial of an advanced modulation technology that may allow more efficient and flexible use of Australia's WGS capacity ($4.2 million).

- Phase 4 - continued milestone payments for the sixth Wideband Global SATCOM satellite ($41.073 million); and

- Phase 5A - Defence continued the acquisition of an Ultra High Frequency payload on the IS-22 commercial satellite over the Indian Ocean Region, which was launched in March, and will become operational later this year ($11.001 million).

Joint Project 2043 (High Frequency Modernisation) has delivered the following:

- completed the rollout of 400 watt High Frequency (HF) Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) radio systems in a transit case solution to army units ($9.2 million), and

- upgrades to thirteen Black Hawk helicopters with HF ALE capable radios ($7.03 million)

Joint Project 2072 (Battlespace Communications Systems - Land) Phase One

Joint Project 2072 (Battlespace Communications Systems - Land) Phase One, continues to deliver the new generation of Combat Net Radio and Tactical Data Radios from Harris and Raytheon. The Initial Materiel Release milestone was achieved in June 2011 with the majority of equipment and vehicle installations to occur throughout 2012 ($58 million). JP2072 Phase 2B is currently tendering a communications capability for deployed headquarters that includes network management, as a means of more effectively managing increased bandwidth requirements.

Communications Architecture

Army is developing the architecture for the Land Reference Network in order to inform future network architecture and systems integration in support of Army.

The Land Network Integration Centre participated in a Multinational Experiment (MNE5) at White Sands, United States of America in October 2011 to test and validate Australian system interoperability with ABCA partners ($300,000).

Optimisation

In addition to increasing bandwidth, Defence is pursuing means to better use the available bandwidth through Network Optimisation protocols, improved integration and aggregation of services and the use of Cross Domain Solutions.