Australian Defence Force Satellite Communications

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Chief Information Officer Group
Australian Defence Force Satellite Communications
Captain Vaughn Rixon, RAN Director ICT
Capability Coordination
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Scope

• ADF SATCOM Roles
• ADF Use of SATCOM
• SATCOM Capability Construct
• SATCOM Capability Today
• SATCOM Capability Tomorrow
• Future Challenges

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ADF SATCOM Broad Roles

Space CIOG/CDG CIOG/CDG DMO CIOG CIOG
Terminal Services/CDG Services/CDG DMO Services Services
Ground CIOG/CDG CIOG/CDG DMO CIOG CIOG
Plan Build Build Build Run
CIOG Chief Information Officer
Group CDG Capability Development Group
DMO Defence Materiel Organisation Services Nav
y, Air Force and Army
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ADF Use of SATCOM

• Operational Environment
• Characterised by concurrent operations, in
  dispersed locations, with a requirement for
  extension of Defence networks/voice services from
  the strategic environment into the operational
  and tactical domains
• SATCOM provides independent communications means
• Operations can not rely solely on terrestrial
  connectivity may be compromised or not
  available
• Users may not be within line-of-sight, or in
  terrain constrained environment (urban,
  mountainous regions)
• SATCOM can achieve long distance connectivity
  (trunking) and netted communications
• Accordingly, cardinal requirements of coverage,
  capacity and connectivity endure

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Capability Construct
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SATCOM Cardinal Requirements The Ends

• Coverage
• Ongoing operational requirement for Two Ocean
  Presence (Indian and Pacific)
• ADFs Primary Operational Area (White Paper)
• Australian Coverage Area of 30E to 170W (WGS
  MOU)
• Contingency requirement for Rest of World
  coverage
• Capacity
• Increasing demand for bandwidth (new capabilities
  being introduced)
• New platforms, high data rate ISR streams,
  increased demand at HQ
• Current predictions suggest capacity requirements
  can be met however, regular Information Exchange
  Requirements (IER) analysis is essential.
• Connectivity
• Extending strategic information networks into the
  operational arena
• Increasing use of coalition networks
• Growing need for netted communications

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SATCOM Cardinal Requirements The Ends
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Current Capability The Ways

• Space Segment
• Need for wideband and narrowband SATCOM remains
  extant
• Wideband primarily for long-haul communications
  supporting larger semi-static formations
• Narrowband primarily for mobile, tactical users
  with strategic and netted links
• Expect increased mobile wideband access as small
  wideband dishes are introduced
• Aim to converge on military systems and spectrum
  (WGS / DPS / IS-22)
• Commercial SATCOM will continue to be required
  for alternate means, surge or where military
  spectrum can not be used
• Terminal Segment
• Classified as either platform-based,
  transportable or anchor terminals
• Platform-based are the responsibility of the
  project introducing the major capability
• Significant change to Defences transportable
  terminals out to 2016 to facilitate the
  convergence on MILSATCOM (military spectrum and
  systems)
• Likewise, major changes to Defences anchoring
  architecture to accommodate WGS, IS-22, TDMA, IW

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Current Capability The Ways

• Control Segment
• Defined as platform (satellite) monitoring and
  control (MC) or transmissions and payload MC
• Platform (station keeping, sub-system health
  monitoring)
• Defence not directly involved in platform MC of
  bus
• WGS MC is through US MILSATCOM architecture.
• DPS and IS-22 MC is included in commercial
  contracts
• Payload (circuit configuration, traffic
  monitoring)
• Defence maintains MC on DPS
• WGS influenced through close liaison with all
  agencies in the US architecture
• IS-22 and others through coordination with the
  commercial provider
• Network Segment
• Provides the interfaces to the strategic networks
  and connectivity between anchor and control sites
• The most significant change to the network
  segment in the near future will be convergence on
  IP switching

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Space and Anchor Segment Capability - Today

• Military Wideband
• Optus C1 (X and Ka)
• SGS-H
• WGS 1-4 (X and Ka)
• IAS East and West
• OSA
• Bi-lat MOUs

• Military Narrowband
• Optus C1
• NCS East and West (DAMA)
• IS-22
• NCS West and North (DAMA)
• AUS/USA MOU

• Commercial Wideband
• Optus D1 (Ku)
• Defence owned and operated anchors
• NSS-6 (Ku)
• Combo Defence owned and leased
• IS-906 (C)
• Leased anchor

• Commercial Narrowband
• Iridium (Voice)
• Inmarsat (Legacy)
• Optus B3 (Voice and BFT)

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Space and Anchor Segment Capability - Tomorrow

• Military Wideband
• Optus C1 (X and Ka)
• SGS-H and SGS-W
• WGS 1-6 (X and Ka)
• SGS-E and SGS-W
• OSA
• Bi-lat MOUs

• Military Narrowband
• Optus C1
• NCS PER and CBR (IW)
• IS-22
• NCS PER and DWN (IW)
• AUS/USA MOU

• Commercial Narrowband
• Iridium (New applications)
• Inmarsat (IP)

• Commercial Wideband
• Gateway Xpress?
• Managed services

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Future Challenges

• Enhanced UHF SATCOM Capability (JP2008 PH5A and
  AUS/US UHF MOU)
• ATE/OTE
• Coordinating change to control segment
• Combined operations with US
• Changes to Australian Wideband anchoring
• Interim anchoring (WGS)
• SGS(W)
• SGS(E)
• Introduction of new SATCOM terminals and
  platforms
• New technologies (IW, TDMA, IP)
• New capabilities Protected SATCOM, DTCS, L-Band
  TACSAT
• Maintaining GEO orbit slots (IOR and POR)
• Sustaining the SATCOM Capability (WGS follow-on)

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Questions
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JP 2008 Wideband Military SATCOM
Strategic Network Infrastructure
Ph 4
WGS
Ph 3D
Ph 4
Ph 4
OPTUS C1
Ph 5B2
DNOC Network Management
Ph 3F
Ph 5B2
Pre -2nd Pass
SGS-W
SGS-E
Ph 3F
Post -2nd Pass
SGS-HAR
Tactical Network Infrastructure
Ph 3H
Ph 3E
Ph 5B1
Initial Tranche of Land Terminals
MASTIS
Remainder of Land Terminals