Page 12 - Australian Defence Magazine November 2019
P. 12

NEWS REVIEW
INDUSTRY UPDATE
EOS buys EM Solutions
KATHERINE ZIESING | CANBERRA
EOS is expanding their business with the purchase of microwave satellite communi- cations specialist SME EM Solutions. EM Solutions Managing Director Dr Rowan Gilmore is this month’s From the Source interviewee, see the back page.
The company will form part of the new EOS Communication Systems segment (see below more on this). The shares/cash pay- ment deal values the company at $26 million.
Brisbane based EM Solutions has a 20- plus year pedigree in this area, with numer- ous Defence and civil programs under its belt, including a win in the 2018 ADM Es- sington Lewis award for their work on the Cobra satcom terminals on board the Cape class patrol boats. These terminals have now been rolled out to other RAN fleets.
The EM Solutions business is equally split between civil and defence work, with the company working on a number of sat- com projects in Australia and globally.
“EOS will now offer customers globally a range of proven communication solutions which are both leading edge and future proofed,” according to a statement from
EOS. “These products will offer EOS cus- tomers a secure transition to the future of ultra-broadband space communications.”
EOS estimates that of the $400 million of space communications infrastructure that must be renewed in the next two de- cades, at least $120 billion will require a combination of performance features across microwave and optical domains, the bread and butter of the company.
“For the ADF, the new entity provides an even stronger sovereign capability in future communications,” EM Solutions Managing Director Dr Rowan Gilmore said. “We look forward to continuing to develop and im- prove our existing suite of on-the-move satel- lite communications products and flat panel antennas while now investing in future space communications technology as part of EOS."
New business
EOS has also established a new business segment to be named EOS Communica- tion Systems. This business segment will be the third discrete business element in EOS, joining EOS Defence Systems and EOS Space Systems.
The launch of the new business was trig- gered by EOS completing several technol-
ogy breakthroughs required for next-gen- eration space communications, according to the company. EOS has invested around $250 million over nine years, including around $50 million of contributions from government partners in the US and Austra- lia, towards achieving this outcome.
The final technology breakthrough clear- ing the path for the establishment of the communications segment was the achieve- ment of new technology allowing specific laser effects in space to be achieved with typically 0.1 per cent of the power previ- ously required.
The industrial and commercial applica- tions of this technology are vast because the laser power density required for many space applications can now be achieved with much smaller lasers. In some cases including next generation space communications, this is an enabling step, according to the company.
“In recent years EOS has developed re- sponsive production processes which allow rapid ramping up and down of production for aerospace products,” EOS Group CEO Dr Ben Greene said. “Access to these pro- cesses and EOS’ global supply chain will support efficient expansion of the commu- nications business.”
EM's Cobra satellite terminal is fitted to the Cape Class patrol boats.
12 | November 2019 | www.australiandefence.com.au


































































































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