Blacktree Technology

What Blacktree Technology does

Blacktree Technology Pty Ltd is a privately held, wholly Australian-owned defence and communications hardware company founded in 2002, headquartered in Perth with a second office in Canberra. It designs, engineers, procures, manufactures, installs, commissions, and maintains mission-critical communication systems for military, government and commercial customers operating in urban, remote, and harsh environments. Its core competency is the full UHF SATCOM signal chain — the company states it delivers capability from the back of the radio to the tip of the antenna — with coverage across UHF, L, C, X, Ku and Ka bands and support for SATCOM-On-The-Move and SATCOM-On-The-Pause use cases.

The product portfolio is organised across five in-house capability areas: Signal Management (RF Radiation Hazard Switches, DC Injector Units, Transceiver Adaptors, GPS Signal Distribution Panels); RF Active Elements (Low Noise Amplifiers and a 300W solid-state High Power Amplifier); RF Combiners and Splitters (multi-port transmit combiners and configurable drawer systems); External Systems (helical antennas and diplexers); and Pedestals (manual, remote-controlled, and equatorial mounts with a touchscreen Antenna Control Panel). All products are designed and manufactured in Australia, hold NATO CAGE code Z0XK4, and the company is triple ISO certified (9001:2015, 14001:2015, 45001:2018), DISP-accredited and an Australian Trusted Trader.

Revenue is generated through two streams: hardware sales of proprietary UHF SATCOM components and systems, and through-life systems integration, support and training services. The go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales to a small number of large customers — the Australian Defence Force is the anchor account, with export relationships extending to international governments, defence primes, and NATO across nine allied nations (UK, USA, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, Spain). Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company has won three industry awards between 2023 and 2025, including the 2023 Australian Space Awards Defence Business of the Year and the 2025 Western Australian Export Awards — Technologies.

Name

Blacktree Technology

Legal name

Blacktree Technology Pty Ltd

Website

https://blacktree.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Blacktree Technology designs, manufactures and supports sovereign Australian-made UHF SATCOM signal-chain hardware — amplifiers, combiners, antennas, pedestals and signal management systems — for the Australian Defence Force, allied governments, defence primes, and NATO.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defence Communications Equipment

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Computer Communications Equipment (3576), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro primary industry

Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) Electronics for Weapons (IMABAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Satellite Broadband Terminals & Gateways (VSAT/LEO CPE) (HDAFAIAM)

Keywords

• UHF SATCOM systems
• RF components manufacturing
• Defence communication systems
• Antenna pedestals
• Signal management systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Perth

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Communication Systems Manufacturing and Sales: Design, engineering, procurement, manufacturing, installation, commissioning and maintenance of mission-critical communication systems for military and commercial use. Products include UHF SATCOM components, RF active elements, signal management systems, antenna pedestals, and ancillary hardware.
2. Systems Integration and Support Services: Through-life systems maintenance and support, legacy and orphan product support, obsolescence management, and customised training for operators and maintainers. Covers the complete system life cycle from design through sustainment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Blacktree Technology designs, engineers, procures, manufactures, installs, commissions, and maintains mission-critical UHF SATCOM communication systems and RF components for Defence, government, and commercial customers. The product portfolio spans signal management devices (RF hazard switches, DC injectors, transceiver adaptors, GPS distribution panels), RF active elements (low-noise and high-power amplifiers), RF combiners and splitters, helical antennas, diplexers, and manual or remote-controlled antenna pedestals. The company delivers full through-life support including legacy/obsolescence management and customised operator and maintainer training.

Product overview

Blacktree Technology provides mission-critical UHF SATCOM communication systems designed, manufactured, and supported in Australia. The product portfolio consists of integrated hardware components spanning five capability areas: Signal Management (RF Radiation Hazard Switches, DC Injector Units, Transceiver Adaptors, GPS Signal Distribution Panels); RF Active Elements (Low Noise Amplifiers, High Power Amplifiers); RF Combiners and Splitters (multi-port transmit combiners and configurable drawer systems); External Systems (helical antennas, diplexers); Pedestals (manual and remote-controlled antenna mounts); and Ancillary equipment. These products work together as a cohesive system ecosystem—from radios to antennas—supporting the full signal chain for Defence, government, and commercial SATCOM operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RF Radiation Hazard Switch — RHS Series

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature17 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Australian Industry & Defence Network (AIDN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeak industry association for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) wishing to do business in the Defence and Security sectors. Represents the interests of Australian SMEs in the Defence and security industry sectors by advocacy, representation and member services. Blacktree is a member.
• Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational peak body for the space industry in Australia. Works closely with Australian governments, international partners, academia, and industry to advance Australia's space industry and economy. Blacktree is a member.
• Australia Defence Information and Electronic Systems Association (ADIESA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDefence Industry Association with mission to enhance Australia's Defence Capabilities in Information, Cyber and Electronic Systems domains. Facilitates increased collaboration between Industry, Defence and Government. Blacktree is a member.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• L3Harris Technologies: L3Harris is a broad incumbent in defense electronics with a wide portfolio spanning SATCOM, RF, and tactical communications. It competes with Blacktree on RF components and UHF satcom subsystems but as part of a far larger platform-level offering, while also being a customer for niche subcomponents on allied programs.
• Viasat Inc. Viasat is a broad incumbent in defense and commercial satellite communications, providing ground terminals, modems, and full SATCOM solutions. While it operates at system level rather than at Blacktree's RF-component niche, it is comparable as a buyer/competitor for the same defense UHF/SATCOM procurement budgets.
• Curtiss-Wright Corporation: Curtiss-Wright is a broad incumbent in defense electronics with rugged RF, communications, and signal management subsystems sold into US/allied defense primes and militaries. Its modular communications and RF subsystem offerings overlap with Blacktree's signal management and combiner/splitter portfolio.
• Honeywell Aerospace: Honeywell Aerospace is a broad incumbent that supplies SATCOM terminals, antennas, and RF subsystems to defense and commercial operators. While far larger and broader than Blacktree, its RF/antenna product lines compete with and complement Blacktree's UHF SATCOM components in the same allied procurement pipelines.

Regional players

• CEA Technologies: CEA Technologies is an Australian regional peer: a privately held Canberra-based defense electronics SME specializing in radar, phased arrays, and CEAFAR antennas for the ADF and allied navies. It is comparable as another sovereign Australian defense electronics SME pursuing allied export opportunities from a similar headcount base.
• BAE Systems Australia: BAE Systems Australia is a regional (Australian) incumbent operating as the local arm of BAE Systems, delivering defense electronics, shipbuilding, and sustainment to the ADF. It is comparable as a sovereign Australian defense platform provider that consumes and competes with the kind of RF/SATCOM subsystems Blacktree produces.

Direct peers

• Comtech Telecommunications Corp: Comtech is a direct peer: it is a publicly traded US supplier of defense and SATCOM ground hardware including RF amplifiers, converters, modems, and high-power SATCOM components, overlapping squarely with Blacktree's UHF SATCOM signal chain and active-element portfolio and serving similar defense and government customers.
• Kratos Defense & Security Solutions: Kratos is a direct peer in defense RF and SATCOM ground systems, offering high-power amplifiers, antenna systems, and signal management products to allied militaries; its product mix and customer base (including NATO and Five Eyes) closely mirror Blacktree's UHF SATCOM systems work.
• Ultra Electronics (now part of Cobham): Ultra Electronics, now under Cobham, is a UK-headquartered defense electronics firm with long-standing capabilities in SATCOM, RF, and signal conditioning for naval and land forces. It is directly comparable as a UK/allied defense electronics SME whose products are integrated into ADF, NATO, and other allied platforms served by Blacktree.

Others

• SPAWAR / Naval Information Warfare Systems Command ecosystem suppliers: Public-sector and prime contracting entities within the US DoD and ADF ecosystem (e.g. Naval Information Warfare Systems Command and its supplier base) are adjacent participants: they specify, procure, and integrate the types of SATCOM hardware Blacktree produces, making them ecosystem counterparts even though they are not direct commercial competitors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blacktreetechnology

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blacktree Technology