"We believe this continues to showcase the industry leading capability of the Lite Sat 1.3 and the value that Lite Coms offers our customers," CEO Bob Jacobsen said.
Lite Coms' LITE SAT 1.3A terminal
Lite Coms, identified in the announcement as a US company, will supply its LITE SAT 1.3A tactical satellite terminals to Boeing Defence Australia (BDA). The company described the LITE SAT 1.3A as a "lightweight, rugged, auto-acquire satellite terminal engineered for military and government operations." According to the vendor, the unit is built with a durable carbon fiber reflector, designed for "fast, tool-free deployment," and intended to "deliver secure, resilient, high-performance beyond line-of-sight connectivity for mission-critical operations."
Boeing Defence Australia and the Class Two BLOS SATCOM award
BDA selected Lite Coms to provide Beyond Line-Of-Sight (BLOS) satellite communications terminals in support of Australia's LAND 4140 program. The company had previously been selected by the Australian government in August to deliver Class Two BLOS SATCOM ground terminals to "enable faster, uninterrupted and more reliable connectivity in increasingly complex and contested operational environments." BDA had also been appointed to act as the systems integrator for the Battle Management System being delivered under LAND 4140.
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Get a security leadLAND 4140 C4I modernization goals
The Australian military describes LAND 4140 as a modernization effort to enhance land command, control, communications, and computers (C4I) systems. In the announcement, the military said the program "will modernise and enhance Land C4 systems in order to deliver decision-making superiority and improve the Command and Control, intelligence, sensors, and weapon system effectors, essential for the conduct of Joint Land Force operations." The Lite Coms terminals are being provided specifically "in support of the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) LAND 4140 Land Command, Control, Communications, and Computers (C4I) modernization program," according to the vendor's press release.
Deployment claims: high-speed, wideband BLOS links and multi-domain connection
BDA framed the Class Two BLOS capability as providing multi-domain connectivity underpinned by "high-speed, wideband SATCOM links." Matt Buckle, BDA’s director of Joint Systems, was quoted in a company press release stating: "Underpinned by high-speed, wideband SATCOM links, the advanced BLOS system will ensure uninterrupted data flow that allows the Australian Defence Force to connect when needed and operate with confidence when it matters most." The program, as described in the materials, emphasizes resilience and continuity of data flow in what BDA called "increasingly complex and contested operational environments."
What this means for the Australian Defence Force, Boeing Defence Australia, and Lite Coms
- Australian Defence Force: The ADF will receive Class Two BLOS SATCOM ground terminals as part of LAND 4140 with the aim of modernising Land C4 systems and delivering "decision-making superiority" across command and control, intelligence, sensors, and weapon system effectors.
- Boeing Defence Australia: BDA is positioned both as the prime deliverer of Class Two ground terminals (an Australian government selection made in August) and as systems integrator for the Battle Management System under LAND 4140, linking the selected terminals into broader C4I capability objectives.
- Lite Coms: The company has been contracted to supply the LITE SAT 1.3A terminals to BDA. Its CEO described the selection as evidence of the product's capability and value, and the vendor highlighted attributes such as rapid, tool-free deployment and a carbon fiber reflector constructed for field conditions.
The selection of a lightweight, auto-acquire terminal built for rapid field deployment ties a specific commercial product to Australia's stated aim of resilient, wideband BLOS connectivity for joint land operations. The coming months of integration, testing and fielding under the LAND 4140 workstream will show whether the claimed "uninterrupted" and "resilient" performance translates into the multi-domain connectivity BDA and the Australian military have described.
