Background 

Downer Professional Services (DPS) was engaged by the Joint Cyber Directorate (JCD) - representing JCU (Joint Cyber Unit), 462 Squadron, 138 Signals Squadron, and FCU (Fleet Cyber Unit) - to solve a range of technical, logistical, and management issues across the four services (Land, Air, Sea, Joint). 

DPSW was primarily engaged to provide Software Development Support for the entire project. This team was responsible for building in house products as well as application plug in support for the project. 

Additionally, DPS provided Engineering Design support to build a proof of concept for an upcoming standalone network, the ADF Cyber Operations and Research Network (ACORN). 

What we did 

DPS built a proof of concept, cloud edge node, which encompassed the project systems development, logistics function, and engineering support system, called SDTE (Systems Development and Test Environment).  

This node was designed inhouse by DPS Engineering Design staff in adherence to the project’s EMS (Engineering Management System). 

DPS staff provided both professional and technical services to the production of the SDTE in both the design and implementation. 

The SDTE is still in development with a second spiral (Productionised Equipment) due in June 2022. It is expected the system will transition into service by end of 2023. 

The SDTE is proof of concept for the ACORN and, once in service, work will begin to promote to an operational support system operating at the correct classification levels. This is part of a large scope of work in providing a parallel operational network to defence from 2024 through to 2027. 

Results 

The engineering design and software support team provided the project with an ongoing range of technical and professional service to help produce the products and support systems needed to aid defence in performing defensive cyber capability. 

DPS effectively enabled the four services to have an in-house systems integration capability.  

DPS engineers helped craft operational concepts into requirements which were then analysed and used to design corresponding systems.  

In addition to this, DPS also provided resources for validation and verification to give the four services confidence that not only did the project deliver products that JCD requested, but also that JCD’s request was a valid one.