The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and its international partners conduct a military assault against a rebel stronghold on the Rainbow Ski-field near St. Arnaud in the Tasman district during SK15. Photo: New Zealand Defence Force, available under a Creative Commons License.

[Via Satellite 09-07-2016] The New Zealand Defence Force, as part of the Strategic Bearer Network Phase 1 program, has awarded a second contract to Rockwell Collins for a Deployable Ku-band Earth Terminal (DKET) satcom system. The Strategic Bearer Network Phase 1 program oversees the modernization of networked communications equipment interfacing with the Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) system.

The DKET Earth terminal enables the transmission of high-bandwidth data, such as voice, imagery and video, across long distances and rugged, remote environments. This contract follows an initial award in June 2013 for one DKET dual-antenna deployable ground station. Rockwell Collins integrates the terminals in Australia.