Australia on Jan. 21 said it signed a $68.3 million contract with Raytheon [RTN] to deliver faster and more reliable communications on the battlefield.
Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare said the contract with Raytheon would provide: more than 1,000 radios, which will be mounted on Army vehicles, primarily Bushmasters and M113 armored vehicles, and handheld portable radios to be carried by soldiers in the field; equipment needed to mount and operate the radios; and maintenance and support services for three years.
“These new radios will give frontline soldiers and the commanders directing them instant information on where they are, where they need to be and what is happening around them,” Clare said. “Right now, the Army is using an older, analogue system which is fast becoming obsolete…”This new system will be faster and more reliable, allowing troops to communicate instantly with the central command post. It will help commanders plan better by giving them more accurate and timely information about what is happening on the ground. This will help keep our soldiers safe.”
Clare said the contract is the next step in the government’s plan to deliver a fully digital communications system to the army.