Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) has selected ADI Limited as the preferred tenderer to provide Navy with new communications capabilities under Phase 3 of Project Sea 1442, a $45 million project to modernise shipboard communications infrastructure.

ADI will design, develop and install new integrated communications system in fifteen of the Navy’s major fleet units and provide the initial five year follow-on support.

The upgrades will allow deployed ships to establish computer-based wide area networks at sea, enabling Navy to rapidly share information among its fleet at sea, headquarters and allies.

Selection of ADI as the preferred tenderer will allow the ADF to leverage off ADI’s co-parent Thales’ significant knowledge and experience in the latest European and US communication systems development, particularly with a similar system being implemented for the French Navy, to ensure interoperability can be attained.

More effective networks will provide improved command and control systems and faster decision making by ship’s commanders. This will enhance the combat power of individual ships and the Royal Australian Navy as a whole.

Adding to this, Government has also approved a second $55 million acquisition for broadband satellite communications terminals for the remaining five Anzac-class Frigates, a Guided Missile Frigate and a maritime training suite under Joint Project 2008 (JP2008) Phase 3.

DMO will negotiate a contract with BAE Systems Australia Ltd for the acquisition of the terminals.

These Satellite terminals combined with the sea 1442 integrated communications architecture will significantly increase the ability of the of the Navy to successfully collect, organise, store, process and distribute information.