Projects
SEA 1442 - Maritime Communications Modernisation
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Introduction Phase 3 Phase 4 Future Phases Australian Industry Opportunities Contacts |
Introduction
SEA 1442 is a multi-phased Program that will enhance the Royal Australian Navy’s maritime communications capability in support of the Australian Defence Force’s Network Centric Warfare (NCW) concept. The Program will make significant contributions towards a ‘Networked Navy’ to support the Navy’s objective of fighting and winning at sea.
The SEA 1442 Program aims to develop standards based open and evolvable architecture that will provide the foundation for future maritime communication systems integration and implementation.
The Program will upgrade and automate systems to deliver a greater level of useability and flexibility to the warfighter at sea. It will integrate existing and new communications bearers and information systems into a coherent system to transfer information within and between ships at sea, and shore. The SEA 1442 program will enable increased level of utilisation of those capabilities being delivered to maritime platforms by other projects such as MILSATCOM (JP 2008) and High Frequency Modernisation (JP 2043).
SEA 1442 Program currently consists of the following phases:
Phase 3 – Initial Capability.
Overview - Phase 3 is the first acquisition phase of the Program. It will provide initial capability in the form of introducing a Maritime Tactical Wide Area Network (MTWAN), network management, and replacement message handling system software for all eight ANZAC Frigates, four guided missile frigates (FFGs), HMAS MANOORA, HMAS KANIMBLA, and HMAS SUCCESS.
The Maritime Tactical Wide Area Network will provide packet based switching for all security levels within a ship, enabling applications on those networks to access line-of-sight and beyond line-of-sight communications bearers (such as MILSATCOM, INMARSAT, UHF, etc). This capability will provide much improved access to rich media types including video, chat, web browsing, email and databases by interfacing existing shipboard LANs with existing bearers over an IP based packet switched infrastructure.
The MTWAN hardware will include network infrastructure, cryptographic devices and RF interfaces, compliant with Allied Communications Publication (ACP) 200 – Maritime Tactical Wide Area Networking protocols and procedures.
Installations at Defence Communications Station – Sydney (Shore Gateway and Network Operating Centre) and Defence Force School of Signals – Maritime Wing (Training Facility) are continuing and remain on track. Acceptance of the first ship installation in HMAS MELBOURNE is expected by November 2009.
Latest News – The Project Team, with Thales Australia, received the ADM DMO/Industry Team of the Year Award in the Certificate Category for Major Acquisitions during the ADM Conference in February 2009.
Phase 4 – Major Capability.
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Overview - Phase 4 will be a major step towards the Australian Defence Force Network Centric Warfare concept in the maritime environment. The Project will contribute towards the goal of high capacity and high quality voice and data connectivity for the warfighter at sea to facilitate a greater level of situational awareness and decision superiority.
SEA 1442 Phase 4 will provide increased level of communication systems integration within ships and with other platforms. This may include provision of integrated communications planning and configuration, distributed network management, and replacement radios, switches, and voice communication systems. The Maritime Tactical Wide Area Network implemented in Phase 3 will be also be upgraded.
Phase 4 is in capability definition stage of the project life-cycle. The platforms to be upgraded and the level of upgrade within each platform will be determined during this stage.
Planned Schedule Highlights:
- First Pass Approval – FY 2009-10 to FY 2010-11
- Year-of-Decision – FY 2012-13 to FY 2013-14
- Initial Operating Capability – 2014 to 2016
Estimated Expenditure – $100m-$500m (towards the middle of the band)
The ACAT level assessed for this Phase is ACAT II
Future SEA1442 Phases
Defence may identify further phases to ensure evolution towards maritime NCW goals and continuation of the modernisation program
Australian Industry Opportunities
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Acquisition
Opportunities for Australian industry exist in the field of naval communications. In particular project management, systems engineering, integrated logistics support, verification and validation, and systems integration into naval platforms. These skill sets will form the basis for the through-life support skills also needed from Australian industry.
The acquisition approach for this phase is likely to be open tender for the selection of a Prime Systems Integrator for the communications system and some ship integration, with other ship integration likely to be pursued through existing support mechanisms. The project will seek to maximise the use of Commercial- and Military-off-the-Shelf materiel.
Industry engagement will include consultation on requirements prior to any Request For Tender (RFT) release. Such engagement may include information sessions, workshops and opportunities to comment on draft capability definition documentation.
Through-life Support
The industry requirements will be based on developing and maintaining sufficient capability within Australian industry to undertake a full range of through-life support activities. In-service support may be tendered as part of the acquisition RFT with the intention of possibly selecting a single supplier for both acquisition and sustainment.
Refer to the Defence Capability Plan 2009 (public version) for more details.
Points of Contact
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DMO – SEA 1442: |
Capability Staff: |
Program Director - |
CMDR Ian McConachie, |
Telephone: (02) 6265 7515 |
Telephone: (02) 6265 1316 |
Phase 3 Project Manager - |
LCDR Jeff Milward |
Phase 4 Project Manager - |
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Telephone: (02) 6265 4839 |
Last Updated: July 2009