Cubic’s GATR Technologies wins NZDF NEA programme

On 16 October, Cubic Corporation announced that GATR Technologies, a subsidiary which operates within the Cubic Mission Solutions (CMS) business division, was awarded an order worth more than $5 million to provide satellite communication (SATCOM) solutions for the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF). Cubic will supply 2.4m inflatable satellite antennas with supporting hardware, spares and New Equipment Training (NET) for the NZDF Network Enabled Army (NEA) programme. In addition to a multi-year support contract, Cubic will deliver and integrate an iDirect-based, time division multiple access (TDMA) network within the NZDF’s existing and future hub infrastructure. 

The NEA programme improves the NZDF’s ability to support deployed land forces by enhancing its battlefield’s command and control system, communications and intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) sensor systems. By closely examining how the NZDF communicates across coalition operations, the NEA programme works to advance communication capabilities for future deployments in the South Pacific and high-intensity environments. Cubic was awarded the foreign military sale (FMS) contract for the entirety of the NEA programme due to its ability to provide the largest aperture and throughput within the smallest packaged weight and form factor in the industry, says the company.

“GATR’s SATCOM is expected to provide the New Zealand Army with a communications solution that meets its tactical requirements and enhance the command and control capabilities of its forces when deployed on operations. Work is expected to commence soon to integrate GATR into the New Zealand Defence Information Environment,” Maj.Gen. Peter Kelly, New Zealand Chief of Army, said. “Along with our partners in the New Zealand Ministry of Defence, we are looking forward to working with Cubic Mission Solutions and GATR Technologies to bring our GATR SATCOM systems into service.”

“To support warfighters at the tactical edge, the GATR inflatable antenna is designed to be extremely portable, reliable and easy to set up,” Mike Twyman, President of CMS, said. “We are pleased to be selected by the NZDF to provide solutions that will further enable interoperability of command, control and communications for our customer’s mission success.”

DPM