Biggest thing ... for years: Industry eagerly awaits next phase of Australian Army network contract
Summary
LANDFORCES — Multiple industry players appear to be positioning themselves here in Australia for what one executive called “the biggest thing in town regarding comms — and will be for years to come.” The Australian military is expected to begin the competition to pick a winner for what some in industry believe will be a contract worth hundreds of millions to build and maintain the Army’s new battlefield communications network early next year. Boeing Australia, builder of the Currawong tactical radio program, believes it has the inside track to win what is called Land 4140 because of that experience. The acquisition approach appears different from standard Australian programs where a prime contractor would design and build the system. Boeing executives, clearly hopeful they might win based on their Project Currawong work, spoke with reporters here about the program. “So they’re looking for a company that has the pedigree, the relationships, the right behaviors, the right experience, the right capabilities to partner with them over the next 10 years to help them effectively build the next generation of networks,” Darcy Rawlinson, a senior IT and cyber executive at Boeing Australia.