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Barrett Communications has enjoyed a long period of export success, providing complex, proven and hardened communications solutions to militaries, border security and law enforcement around the world. Now they’re turning their attention to directly supporting the ADF.
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With a proud history of supporting global partners, Barrett Communications is gearing up to enhance it’s offering to the Australian Defence Force and support the delivery of hardened communications solutions.
A core part of the Barrett Communications offering for LAND 200 is the company’s proven track record supporting a range of government and non-government partners, and the offer of a sovereign defence manufacturing capability.
Barrett Communications has robust commercial relationships with leading industry primes, including BAE Systems UK, Northrop Grumman, Thales France and Thales Italy.
Barrett Communications CEO Andrew Burt explained to Defence Connect, “We have developed relationships across industry, with government and non-government partners based on reliability, capability and mutual trust.”
Barrett enjoys longstanding relationships with Tier One government organisations, including the US Department of Homeland Security, British Ministry of Defence and the Canadian Department of National Defence.
In addition to these commercial relationships, Barrett supports armed forces, border security, paramilitary, peacekeeping and police organisations throughout Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Pacific region, Central Asia, North and South America.
Barrett’s products are used extensively to great effect through foreign assistance programs, specifically with the ADF in East Timor and the Pacific Islands and US Foreign Military Sales worldwide with border security and counter-narcotics operations,” Burt added.
When supporting the Canadian Department of National Defence’s request for robust, survivable and rugged tactical communications systems to support operators in the Arctic Circle, Barrett was ready, drawing on a wealth of experience.
Martin Johnson, director of business development at Barrett Communications, explained to Defence Connect the importance of providing a Tier One military capability: “Supporting the Canadian DND has been a great example of Barrett’s capability to meet the time-sensitive, mission-specific requirements of a Tier One military partner. This capability has been well received by the Canadian operators.”
Already, Tranche 1 of Land 200 has integrated new software, computers and a tactical data radio network onto dismounted soldiers and about 2,000 platforms, including armoured vehicles, armed reconnaissance helicopters and Navy landing craft.
Land 200 Tranche 2 started in September 2017 and will train soldiers to think and fight digitally, including the use of new portable tablets to display hypothetical tactical exercises without troops and an enhanced simulated software program to provide situational awareness data, such as soldier movements, to the battle management system to allow personnel to practice making decisions as they would in battle.
Tranche 2 will also include a focus on integrating new technology onto more than 500 vehicles such as tanks, trucks and armoured recovery vehicles.
The final package of work for Land 200 Tranche 3 is expected to reach Gate 0 of the Defence Capability Life Cycle in mid-2020.
Tranche 3 would include:
- Replacing or upgrading technology that has become obsolete since the project started;
- Finishing the tactical communications network; and
- Completing the integration of the battle management system into combat platforms and remote weapon stations.
“Barrett’s HF SDR is built locally and in line with the requirements identified by the Australian government for the Tranche 3 of the LAND 200 program – we are confident in our capability to build on our export success and provide the ADF with a truly sovereign capability,” Burt added.
Providing a sovereign industry capability is at the core of Barrett’s offering for the Australian Army’s LAND 200 program to establish what the Army describes as a digital nervous system to empower the “networked and hardened” Army.
Barrett has a specific focus on designing, manufacturing, supplying, installing and the long-term support of complex, high-quality HF and VHF communications systems for the Australian Defence Force.
For 40 years, Barrett Communications has been at the forefront of innovation in high-frequency radio – coming from its humble beginnings in the Australian aviation sector and is committed to providing the Australian Defence Force with a leading-edge, sovereign capability.
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
