SKYNET Enduring Capability (EC) – Strategic Command

The EC project was established by STRATCOM as part of the SKYNET programme, to plan the implementation of a new Military Communication Satellite ecosystem from 2028.

Background and requirement

TP Group was responsible for delivering the Operational Analysis (OA) element of the project by establishing and assessing the operational and cost effectiveness of a series of candidate ecosystems with the potential to meet the military need. The key final deliverable was an Operational Analysis Supporting Paper, with findings as a main element of the economic business case.

The tasking meant integrating evidence from multiple delivery and operational dimensions, balancing a range of factors related to cost, performance, and resilience in the assessment. This was in the context of the imminent obsolescence of the existing SKYNET 5 system, and with the need to identify key elements of the future operating environment including adversary threats, the SATCOM demand growth profile and wider integration factors related to allied technology development. In leading the OA, we worked as part of a consortium alongside Crown Service and Contractor teams comprising military end users, system engineers, technology experts, costs and schedule risk analysts and senior STRATCOM programme management colleagues.

Approach

TP Group produced and delivered a scrutiny-endorsed Concept of Analysis which outlined a multi-strand analysis plan to achieve this. Across these strands, we designed and delivered a series of SME workshops and interviews to gather evidence and test our assumptions, alongside ongoing industry research and technical evaluation of ecosystem attributes as they matured.

• Requirements gathering: establishing a set of evidenced measures of effectiveness linked to specific system and user requirements. These were expressed at threshold and objective levels in order to differentiate between options.
• Concept generation and development: working with SATCOM technology experts to establish a set of candidate ecosystems solutions. Between them, these covered a range of possible solutions (for example Geostationary Vs Low Earth Orbit systems, and entirely sovereign Vs commercial-dependent systems)
• Threat Analysis: In consultation with Defence Intelligence, articulating a range of current and future adversary threats covering kinetic, cyber and electro-magnetic. Each ecosystem was compared against each threat in a matrix-style analysis, in order to establish the key factors contributing to resilience.
• Pan-DLOD analysis: working with military colleagues to understand the burden that each ecosystem would place on wider parts of the defence enterprise.
• Interoperability: assessing the degree to which candidate ecosystems would allow interoperation with military allies, OGDs and commercial partners in order to deliver enhanced effectiveness and geographical coverage.
• Road mapping and technology maturity assessment: establishing the key milestones and scheduling elements relevant to implementing the new system, for example changes in allied military system with which EC would interoperate, and assessing their impact and risk to the candidate ecosystems.

Outcome

Following the conclusion of this activity, TP Group presented the evidence generated in a scrutiny-endorsed OASP alongside stakeholder presentation sessions. This included a series of Combined Operational Effectiveness Investment Appraisal charts. These were used as a main element of the Outline and Full Economic Business Case.

Central to our conclusions was the proposal for a ‘blended’ solution combining attributes from across the candidate ecosystems into a single best in class solution. The evidence generated comprised a key element of the economic business case and enabled STRATCOM to proceed with procurement activities in 2022.