Australia invests $88m with KBR to modernise command and control
October 2, 2025
In a significant move to sharpen its air and space warfare edge, the Australian Government has awarded a five‑year A$133.6 million ($88 million) sustainment contract to Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) to enhance the Air and Space Operations – Command and Control System (ASO‑C2CS).
The contract, announced on 30 September 2025, aims to modernise the system that underpins planning, execution and coordination of Australian Defence Force (ADF) air operations.
The enhancements are intended to streamline integration, improve data management, and reduce complexity across the system, thereby supporting more agile decision‑making in complex airborne and space missions.
Enhancing command, control and integration: what KBR will deliver
Under the new contract, KBR will take responsibility for sustaining and upgrading several critical modules within the ASO‑C2CS, including the Mission Planning Systems, Air Resource and Scheduling, and Electronic Flight Bag subsystems.
One of the focal points is the electronic information management layer, the software and data backbone that ensures that decision‑makers receive timely, accurate information during mission planning and execution.
The objective is to reduce friction, provide robust data governance and deliver faster mission support products.
In a statement, Nic Maan, Vice President of KBR’s Australia Defence & Security Solutions, noted:
“KBR has for more than two decades supported the development, delivery and evolution of critical data-centric technologies that provide commanders with real‑time situational awareness, enabling informed decision making.”
In addition to technical work, KBR will deploy Field Service Representatives who will be embedded across ADF units to provide training, operational support and ensure maximum utility of the updated systems.
Broad defence benefit: Navy, Army, Air Force need an integrated C2
ASO‑C2CS is conceived as a joint force enabler across the Navy, Army and Air Force. It is critical to Australia’s ability to plan, link and orchestrate air and space operations in a complex and contested domain.
Colonel Darren Moore, Acting Assistant Secretary Joint C4 Systems, highlighted the contract’s alignment with the 2024 Defence Strategic Review, which emphasised the necessity of streamlining capability deliveries:
“The 2024 Defence Strategic Review highlighted the need to streamline delivery processes to achieve minimum viable product. This contract will enhance capability and reduce the complexity in delivering essential mission support products to the Australian Defence Force.”
He added that this investment demonstrates the government’s commitment to ensuring the ADF has “superior capabilities … to maintain operational advantage over potential adversaries.”
Part of the appeal of this sustainment contract is its emphasis on consolidation, bringing together previously disparate sustainment activities under a unified contract. This consolidation is expected to streamline governance, assurance and delivery efforts across the ASO‑C2CS.
Maintaining continuity is also a priority: the contract is estimated to preserve around 60 jobs across the sustainment ecosystem.
The bigger context: Why Australia is investing in C2 now
In modern warfare, command and control (C2) is a linchpin. The capacity to ingest, integrate, filter and present data to decision‑makers can tip the balance in a contested environment.
Australia’s geography, strategic posture, and regional security pressures demand that its air and space forces remain agile, networked and resilient.
ASO‑C2CS forms the digital backbone for air operations, enabling mission planning, resource allocation, deconfliction, and adaptive response to threats. In short, a capable C2 system is not just a support tool, but it is a force multiplier.
By investing in upgrades and sustainment, Australia is ensuring that the system remains modern, interoperable and resilient as new capabilities (e.g. advanced surveillance, drone swarms, space operations) come online.
Complementary developments: Leidos awarded parallel air C2 contract
While KBR focuses on ASO‑C2CS, Leidos Australia was awarded a separate sustainment contract earlier in August 2025 to manage the Air Component Command and Control System (AC‑C2CS), a related but distinct Air Force planning and control suite.
This $35.4 million four‑year deal involves on-site sustainment, engineering support, operational services and training and underscores the broader imperative of modernising Australia’s command and control architecture across multiple layers.
Australia’s investment in KBR’s enhancement of ASO‑C2CS represents a foundational step in bolstering its command, control and information backbone. In an era where domain contestation, aerial threats, and multi-domain warfare are intensifying, the ability to integrate, compute and disseminate mission-critical data is indispensable.
If successfully implemented, the upgrades will not only preserve the system’s relevance but potentially shift decision cycles in Australia’s favour, ensuring that the ADF remains not just reactive, but decisive.
