HMS Cardiff, the second of the Royal Navy’s Type 26 anti-submarine frigates, has had two 17-metre pole masts fitted above her mission bay at BAE Systems’ Scotstoun yard on the Clyde, giving the ship her final profile, according to the Royal Navy.
The masts, designed and manufactured by STS Defence, carry the frigate’s secure communications.
The port mast provides 4G connectivity, ship-to-shore satellite communications and a GPS link, while the starboard mast hosts UHF and VHF communications. Each gives 360-degree coverage and is designed to provide the frequency isolation needed to prevent interference from the ship’s own systems.
Pat Browning, National Armaments Director Group Type 26, said: “Seeing HMS Cardiff take on her final profile is a proud moment for the whole Type 26 team.
“Fitting the masts in dry dock demonstrates that, together with industry, we are applying what has been learned from the programme to deliver these ships that will be the backbone of the Royal Navy.”
Cardiff was floated up in dry dock two at Scotstoun in April, and will stay afloat there for the rest of her fitting out. Steel was first cut for her in August 2019, and she was floated off a heavy lift barge at Glen Mallan in September 2024 before being towed to Scotstoun. Her main composite mast, built by Umoe Mandal in Norway, arrived in Glasgow in 2022. Lead ship HMS Glasgow is expected to reach Initial Operating Capability in 2028, and all eight ships are due to be complete by the mid-2030s.
