Australia said on Wednesday it would join an advanced US military communications satellite network and pay part of the bill for expanding it to further cement the close alliance between the two countries.
Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said Australia would fund one satellite plus ground-based infrastructure at a cost of A$927 ($820 million), with the US to pay for the remaining five. The deal, he said, would give Australia's military access to the latest generation Wideband Global Satellite Communications (WGS) system.
The deal follows a landmark pact that US President George W. Bush and Prime Minister John Howard signed last month giving Australia long sought access to secret US military technology and intelligence.
"Access to the WGS constellation will build on the ADF's (Australian Defence Force) ability to conduct multiple and simultaneous military operations independently, or as part of a coalition force," Nelson said in a statement. Australia, an original member of the US-led coalition in Iraq, has already begun a A$50 billion defence upgrade, buying new tanks, missile warships, fighter and transport aircraft, cruise missiles, attack helicopters and aircraft carriers. The network's first satellite is due to be launched October 9. Just that one satellite will provide more capacity for video, data and voice than the ageing constellation of satellites it is due to augment and then replace, the Space and Missile Systems Center has said.
Nelson said the network would assist new weapons platforms, with the first WGS satellite to be operational by early 2008. The full constellation would be operational by 2013.
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