British firm to supply comms masts for Australian frigates

UK engineering firm STS Defence has secured a contract from Rohde & Schwarz Australia to provide integrated main communications masts for the Royal Australian Navy’s Hunter class frigates.

The deal covers two masts for each of the first three frigates in the programme, with the first ship-set due for delivery in 2028. All masts will be built in the UK before being shipped to Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia for installation.

STS Defence is the design authority for the masts, a role awarded after completing scoping, risk reduction and detailed design work that led to Lloyd’s certification. The design draws on the masts fitted to the Royal Navy’s Type 26 frigates, which share the same Global Combat Ship pedigree as the Hunter class.

According to STS Defence, the masts will carry a variety of antennas to provide line-of-sight communications across multiple frequency bands, along with masthead navigation lights. Composite isolation screens will separate different frequency bands to reduce interference.

Mainstay Marine Solutions in Pembroke Dock, Wales, will manufacture and assemble the mast structures before shipment to Australia.

“This is a flagship programme for STS Defence which showcases our technology, design and integration capabilities,” said Ben Stancliffe, the company’s managing director. “We are immensely proud to be providing this mission critical system to one of the most advanced warships in the world.”

Rohde & Schwarz Australia managing director Gareth Evans said STS Defence’s expertise was essential to the project’s success. “Their expertise in the design and manufacture of high-quality communications masts will be essential in ensuring the success of this program,” he said.

The Hunter class frigates are being built by BAE Systems Australia under a £35 billion programme to deliver nine anti-submarine warfare vessels based on the UK’s Type 26 design.