Lockheed Martin Australia has announced it has teamed with Shoal Group for the Australian Defence Force’s Project JP9102 sovereign military satellite communications (SATCOM) requirement.

The October 11 announcement says the teaming will “unify the strengths of both organisations” to position it as the ADF’s “partner of choice” for JP9102. It says Shoal will conduct work on the development of systems engineering modelling and management, key project reviews, milestones, and modelling, simulation, and analysis.

“As a sovereign capability partner on various Defence programs, Lockheed Martin Australia has long recognised that Shoal Group punches above its weight in the complex world of model-based system engineering,” Lockheed Martin Australia’s Space Regional Director, David Ball said in a company release. “This teaming agreement combines Shoal Group’s expertise and Lockheed Martin Australia’s optimal solution for a resilient, operationally superior military satellite system.

“The multi-award-winning team at Shoal Group brings unmatched expertise in the use of digital design tools and analytics that will support us in minimising risks and maximising schedule assurance,” Ball added. “This teaming builds on Lockheed Martin’s proven record of superior military satellite communications solutions and will ensure the development of a sovereign MILSATCOM system that will be defined by its resilience and operational superiority.”

Shoal says its experience across complex capability acquisition and sustainment projects will provide critical expertise to Lockheed Martin Australia’s JP9102 solution throughout each stage of the project. 

“Our partnership with Lockheed Martin Australia reflects the trust, respect and complementary skillsets that our companies bring to the table needed on a project of this scale and importance,” Shoal Group’s Founder and Head of Business Development, Shaun Wilson said. “It builds on a legacy of successful multi-domain cooperation in everything from undersea warfare to Integrated Air and Missile Defence and now space-based communications.

“Shoal Group specialises in engineering solutions for complex systems of systems and by partnering with Lockheed Martin Australia in the delivery of a ‘world’s best’ MILSATCOM sovereign satellite communications system we see the exponential potential for our business in terms of space systems capability development and long-term growth,” Wilson added. “The benefits of adopting early-stage systems engineering in a project like JP9210 puts the focus on designing a system that addresses the needs of Defence to inform an end-to-end solution. We understand when there is uncertainty in complexity and how to mitigate risk.”

Apart from Shoal, Lockheed Martin is also teamed with Ronson Gears and Clearbox Systems. Other contenders for JP9102 includes a teaming of Boeing Defence Australia, Leidos Australia, Viasat, Saber, Clearbox Systems, and the Indigenous Defence and Infrastructure Consortium (IDIC); and the Airbus-led Team Maier which includes Blacktree Technology, UGL, and Clearbox.