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Satnews Daily
October 1st, 2018

Northrop Grumman and Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Shovel Sod to Begin Satellite Ground Station East


The sod has been turned for Satellite Ground Station East in Australia (SGS-E). Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) Australia hosted the Hon Michael McCormack MP, Deputy Prime Minister, at Kapooka where they got out the shovels and turned over the dirt to commemorate the beginning of a new facility.  


L to R: Colonel Michael Garraway AM, Commandant Army Recruit Training Centre, Ian Irving, Chief Executive, Northrop Grumman Australia, the Hon Michael McCormack MP, Deputy Prime Minister, Wing Commander William Myatt, Department of Defence.

The Hansen Yuncken company is leading construction of SGS-E, with AECOM providing design and civil engineering support. The construction will begin later this year and is estimated to provide more than 100 jobs across 22 different trades.

The facility will provide the ADF access to military communications satellites such as the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) constellation, which allows ADF personnel deployed across the Indo-Pacific region to connect to strategic information communications technology networks in Australia. Additionally, SGS-E will provide access to a range of commercial communications satellite services.

The SGS-E will be a major component of the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) future satellite communications (SATCOM) capability, delivered by Northrop Grumman Australia and Viasat under Joint Project (JP) 2008 Phase 5B2. 

Ian Irving, chief executive, Northrop Grumman Australia said that Northrop Grumman and Viasat will provide the ADF a comprehensive and proven solution for taking full advantage of Australia’s investment in the WGS communications system. Their solution will also provide the ADF the flexibility necessary to accommodate future needs.