Thales Australia wins significant Australian Defence Force command and intelligence systems contract

Thales Australia has won the primary contract to provide hardware and software support services for a range of critical command and intelligence systems used by the Australian Defence Force.

The five-year contract with the Defence Materiel Organisation's Command and Intelligence Systems Support Office (CISSO) begins this month. It will involve Thales managing and providing a complete package of support services across multiple mission systems that form part of the Joint Command Support Environment (JCSE).

The company is providing a low risk, cost-effective solution that makes effective use of its extensive experience as the major provider of support services to CISSO since its inception in 2004, and also as a significant provider of solutions and services for the JCSE under Joint Project JP2030 since 1994.

"We are very pleased to have won this contract after a very competitive tendering process," said Chris Jenkins, Thales Australia's Managing Director.

"This win consolidates our reputation for consistent, high quality performance in support of national security requirements. Cost-effectiveness, innovation and demonstrated responsiveness to urgent operational requirements were also important measures over the life of the previous contract.

"We have a dedicated team in place with specialist expertise in meeting the customer's evolving requirements, and we look forward to delivering additional benefits to the ADF and the DMO over the coming years."

The CISSO Support Program is comprehensive, in that it encompasses a suite of products and services from building and sustaining Deployable Local Area Networks (DLANs) to enhancing specialist software and managing and operating the CISSO Support Test and Integration Facility.

Over the course of the existing CISSO contract, Thales has delivered 140 DLANs ranging in size from ultra-light, single-laptop systems to heavy systems designed to support deployed headquarters comprising over 150 users. These systems are used extensively by the ADF in operations around the world.

"We will continue to strengthen the already healthy relationship between CISSO and Thales, and welcome the opportunity to play a central role in further enhancing the CISSO Support Program in line with the goals of the Department of Defence's Strategic Reform Program,"