Blacktree Technology’s roots are deep in space

WA company Blacktree Technology continues to enjoy significant success in the defence market, both in Australia and around the world.

Perth-based small to medium enterprise Blacktree Technology is an example of a local company which continues to enjoy significant success in the defence market, both in Australia and around the world.

Perth-based small to medium enterprise Blacktree Technology is an example of a local company which continues to enjoy significant success in the defence market, both in Australia and around the world.

The company also has wide experience working in the broader satellite communications areas, including support for the resource sector in WA and participation in a wideband satellite communications project in Papua New Guinea.

Founded in 2000, Blacktree entered the defence market in 2015 and today employs 12 people in the design, manufacture and support of a range of world-leading UHF satellite communications (SATCOM) products used by the military forces of Australia, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. Its products include Spirit River helical antennae, antenna pedestals, RF isolation switches and diplexers.

Locally, the company is currently working directly with the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) to support the Australian Defence Force’s nationwide UHF SATCOM ground segment from its facilities in Perth and Canberra.

Co-director Joel Nevin says Blacktree sees significant near-term opportunities across a number of Defence’s space-based communications programs, including the Australian Defence SATCOM Systems (ADSS) program, JP9102.

A request for tender for JP9102 was issued to industry in April, and the $7bn program will deliver a secure, sovereign, SATCOM system to the ADF, capable of providing command and control communications over a wide area of the Earth’s surface, stretching from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and encompassing South-East Asia

“JP9102 is at the heart of what we currently do in UHF SATCOM, in terms of the higher mobility space,” Nevin says.

“We are very keen to ensure Blacktree continues to be involved in the space-related infrastructure in Australia, and an even greater involvement with the next phase of UHF satellite communications.”

While the company remains agnostic with regard to the eventual winner of the program, Nevin says Blacktree has been in discussions with a number of the Defence industry primes intending to bid for the contract for the past two years.

“Whatever they do in the high mobility space will have an impact on our equipment on the ground and our team has an in-depth knowledge of that equipment, so we can be useful to all of the bidders,” she says.

“Accordingly, it is important that we maintain that agnostic approach.”

Blacktree is aspiring to further grow its business in both the defence and the wider space communications markets as the world experiences a resurgence in requirements for such systems.

“We’re looking to a period of growth over the coming years with emerging space programs and I’m looking to increase our workforce in the near future,” Nevin says.

“Our research has shown that we’re the only company in the world providing leading-edge products which offer an end to end solution, from the back of the radio to the tip of the antenna.”