Boeing to deliver final capabilities under Project Currawong to Australian DoD

The deployable data centre assembly (pictured above) is one of the final capabilities being developed by Boeing as part of Currawong's ‘Release 3'. (Boeing)

“The final two pieces of capability” of the last stage or “Release 3” of the Australian Department of Defence's (DoD's) Project Currawong “are currently in the final phases of completion and acceptance”, Tom Minge, Boeing's Currawong programme manager told Janes.

Boeing is the prime contractor of Currawong, officially known as Joint Project (JP) 2072 Phase 2B. The project is focused on developing an integrated battlefield telecommunications network system for the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

“The final two pieces of capability to be completed are the deployable data centre assembly (DDCA) and the headquarters on the move (HQOTM),” Minge told Janes.

“We [Boeing] anticipate the DDCA will be completed by the end of the July 2022, with the HQOTM shortly after,” he said.

“We [Boeing] are on-track for production, delivery, and training to be completed by December 2022,” he added.

Boeing has been delivering ‘Release 3' to the Australian Army “in a number of stages”, Minge said.

“The majority of the capability achieved Systems Acceptance Audit in December 2021,” he added.

‘Release 3' of Currawong comprises multiple secure data networks across three security domains, a radio interface system that connects up to six analogue radios with phones, video-conferencing capability, an updated mission system manager, and DDCA, Minge said.

The vehicle-mounted DDCA provides classified networks to between 50 and 500 users, and delivers “unprecedented capability to scale-up communications and establish deployed headquarter operations”, he said.