C4 EDGE comms program gets under way

An alliance of Australian SMEs led by Canberra-based EOS Defence Systems Pty Limited has won a $4.2 million contract to undertake a scoping study into the establishment of a sovereign land battlegroup and below communications environment for the Australian Army.

Seventeen Australian companies have joined the C4 EDGE (Evolutionary Digital Ground Environment) Communications Program established by EOS Defence Systems to demonstrate this new sovereign defence industry cooperative model, following an unsolicited proposal to the Army. If successful, their combined balance sheets make them the equivalent of a prime contractor.

The C4 EDGE program will leverage internationally agreed open standards to grow and demonstrate Australian C4 (Command, Control, Communications and Computers) industry capacity and the ability to deliver a battlegroup and below C4 capability demonstrator.

By the end of 2021 the program aims to have delivered a proof of concept demonstration that shows Australian industry’s ability to further develop a protected, integrated and supportable sovereign system. The system will deliver agile and resilient Command and Control (C2) functionality to meet the flexible, scalable and interoperability needs of a battlegroup operating independently or with partners.

Grant Sanderson, CEO of EOS Defence Systems, said, “The C4 EDGE program is an innovative and creative initiative from the Australian Government and Army that demonstrates their commitment to improved Australian Industry engagement and opportunity. EOS feels very privileged to have the opportunity to lead this activity and help industry present their capabilities.”

C4 EDGE team members are based in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia as well as the ACT. Between them they employ 975 personnel with a combined turnover of $616 million and exports of $408 million.