Barrett joins C4 EDGE communications program

Barrett Communications is one of 16 Australian companies that have joined Team C4 EDGE (Evolutionary Digital Ground Environment) to scope the development of a sovereign communications environment for the Australian Army.

The program will leverage internationally agreed open standards to grow and demonstrate Australian C4 Industry capacity and capability to deliver a battlegroup and below C4 capability.

Ultimately, by the end of 2021 the program will have delivered a proof of concept demonstrator that shows the capability of Australian industry to further develop a protected, integrated and supportable sovereign system: one that delivers agile and resilient C2 functionality to meet the flexible, scalable and interoperability needs of a battle group operating independently or with partners.

“Barrett Communications specialise in the design and manufacture of HF SSB and VHF radio communications equipment for tactical and strategic infrastructure,” said Andrew Burt, CEO of Barrett Communications.

“Barrett are excited to be a participant in the C4 EDGE Team bringing the inherent capability of Australian industry together to provide Defence a truly sovereign communications capability for the future.”

Team C4 EDGE intends to deliver a demonstration of Australian industry capability in late 2021, subject to Army approval of the next phase, offering Australian C4 (Command Control Communications and Computing) technology which may include:

• Mounted and dismounted RF bearer systems
• Force tracking
• Battle application environment
• Network planning and management
• Data distribution systems
• Sovereign cryptography
• Sovereign waveform
   

In June 2020, EOS Defence Systems signed a $4.2m contract with the Commonwealth to act as the Lead Contractor for team C4 EDGE delivery of Phase 1, over the period June to September 2020.

Phase One will design and define the demonstration system, and establish the essential accreditation architecture and processes necessary to deliver an ‘accreditable by design’ demonstration capability and associated industry development plans.

Team C4 EDGE is represented in six Australian states and one territory, and includes 16 Australian C4 subject matter expert companies with 975 employees and combined annual gross turnover of approximately $616 million.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Gorodenkoff