The Commonwealth of Australia’s strategy for C4ISR and Battlefield Management System modernization through an overlapping, tiered approach represents a concerted effort to ensure layered networks are integrated as they are deployed.
It also ignites an extraordinary revolution in terms of the situational awareness encompassing a suite of C4ISR technologies as well as kinetic and non-kinetic effects. This, combined with a resilient and highly adaptive network, ensures that the ground personnel and their support agencies have the right information at the right time to aid better decision making, according to Alan Callaghan, president and managing director of L3Harris Communications Australia.
“These new architectures are delivering communication capability that is increasing connectivity and shifting data at increasing speeds across the battlefield,” Callaghan said. “This enables a massive change in how the warfighter conducts operations.”
L3Harris Technologies has been supporting the Australian Defence Force for more than 25 years, with a strong reputation for delivering high quality capabilities across many areas, including under-surface sensors and communications, ISR, communications networks integration, training systems, electronic warfare and Night Vision and Aiming Technologies, according to Callaghan. Further, more than 50 percent of the 500-plus in-country employees across 11 locations are ex-military.
In respect to C4ISR, L3Harris Technologies is positioned to support the customer, with a mature and growing local presence combined with global reach back,” Callaghan said. “We have been a leading supplier of military solutions and services to the Commonwealth across a number of domains. We are proud of our partnership with the ADF and remain ready to deliver end-to-end integrated C4ISR capabilities in support of national sovereignty priorities.”
Solutions for Interoperability
The architecture, layering and integration of networks and modern combat systems provides significant opportunities for future technology insertions, according to Callaghan.
The strength of L3Harris’ enterprise in Australia — and abroad — is from manufacturing assembly capabilities, local subject matter and supply chain expertise. Coupled with the company’s in-depth understanding of the Defence forces’ needs, this speeds development and deployment of bespoke solutions to meet those requirements, he said.
Understanding the Environment
A core capability of L3Harris is its worldwide customer support infrastructure.
This capability is staffed by multi-disciplinary teams, many of whom are military veterans with extensive operational and technical experience with the systems fielded by L3Harris. Importantly, a major tenet of the company’s approach is that these teams are located in country. This leads to decreased turn-around times and an increase in the ability to build sovereign capabilities.
Achieving Overmatch
Australia is presented with a number of challenges as the Commonwealth works to keep pace with the significant level of defense modernization currently conducted by peer nations.
“The Australian Defence Force punches above their weight–I’d like to think it’s one of the best small armed forces in the world,” Maj. Gen. Fergus McLachlan (ret.), L3Harris Australia director, said. “What we’re seeing now is a democratisation of lethality and technology. This idea of nation states operating in the gray zone make the role of the military leader on the ground incredibly difficult.”
L3Harris is uniquely positioned to gain the best advantages from U.S. tactical communications technology development for Australia’s own interoperability capabilities.
“We have the ability as this large prime in Australia to take the best of the American/Australian capabilities and support the desire for sovereignty in Australia,” Callaghan said. “We are well-positioned as L3Harris to take the best of breed and leverage a strong and smart industrial base in Australia to help Australia’s capability growth.”
