November 22, 2023: 

Harvest Technology Group (Harvest), a renowned provider of secure, high-quality video and data transmission solutions, The AST Group (AST), a global leader in satellite communications services, and Guerrilla Technologies (Guerrilla), a pioneer in autonomous technology and robotics, today announce their strategic partnership. Together, they aim to deliver a future-proof connectivity backbone for all-domain connected operations in the defence sector.

This ground-breaking collaboration will harness the strengths of Harvest’s Nodestream™ technology, AST’s global satellite connectivity network, and Guerrilla’s innovative robotics to empower defence operations with the Internet of Military Things (IoMT). IoMT refers to the network of interconnected devices, sensors, and platforms capable of collecting, processing, and sharing data for heightened situational awareness, command and control, and operational effectiveness.

Paul Guilfoyle, Harvest’s Chief Executive Officer, emphasized the growing role of data in modern military operations. “Military success hinges on how forces use data to enhance awareness, control, effectiveness, resilience, and deterrence,” Guilfoyle stated. “Fast, reliable, and secure connections allow defence to leverage advanced technologies, reducing risks to personnel, augmenting human performance, and increasing efficiency across domains.”

While Harvest, AST, and Guerrilla have individually collaborated with military organizations, they recognize that combining their expertise creates a winning formula for future-proof connectivity.

“Nodestream™ offers military-grade security, 384-bit encrypted connections, and high-quality video, audio, and data transmission without the need for significant bandwidth,” Paul Guilfoyle continued. “It’s perfect for defence forces to securely access, share, and analyse large packets of real-time data from disparate sources, enabling critical life-saving decisions and rapid strategic movements.”

James De Vroome, Vice President AST Asia Pacific highlighted the reliability and security of their global satellite connectivity network, which provides scalable communication services for military intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), logistics, and emergency response. The network can transmit large volumes of data, voice, and video across different domains, levels, and locations, withstanding cyberattacks, jamming, and other disruptions.

Guerrilla integrates the network, technology, and robotics into bespoke defence applications and interfaces, delivering end-to-end rapidly deployable solutions that are resilient, sustainable, and uninterrupted in achieving mission success and safety.

Key Benefits of the Tripartite Connectivity Backbone include:

• Enhanced Situational Awareness: Access, share, and analyse data from multiple sources for a comprehensive understanding of the operational environment and adversary’s intentions and capabilities.
• Improved Command and Control: Facilitate effective communication across different domains, levels, and locations to coordinate actions, synchronize operations, and execute missions efficiently.
• Increased Operational Effectiveness: Leverage advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and immersive technologies to augment human performance, reduce risks, and enhance efficiency in various domains.
• Greater Resilience and Deterrence: Withstand and recover from cyberattacks, jamming, and network disruptions, while demonstrating superior capabilities and readiness to deter and counter adversary actions.
• Extraction of Valuable Insights: Analyse data from diverse sources, such as social media, satellite imagery, and sensors, to support decision-making, intelligence analysis, and threat detection.

The applications of this connectivity extend beyond defence to sectors including offshore asset inspection and security, environmental monitoring, coastal surveillance, oil spill response, and search and rescue.

This announcement underscores Harvest’s growing presence in the global defence sector, with significant deals in 2023, including a partnership with a major Five-Eyes defence customer and a European Union Defence Force.