Overview

• Rohde & Schwarz Australia has awarded STS Defence a contract to deliver twin integrated main communications masts for the Royal Australian Navy’s first three Hunter-class frigates.
• STS Defence, as design authority, completed scoping, risk-reduction and detailed design studies that secured Lloyd’s certification for the mast design.
• Mainstay Marine Solutions in Pembroke Dock, Wales, will manufacture and assemble the mast structures before shipping them to Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide.
• The masts will support line-of-sight antennas across multiple frequency bands, include masthead navigation lights and use composite isolation screens to reduce interference when integrated with NAVICS MLS.
• The contract covers a twin-mast ship-set for each of the first three vessels, with the initial set due for delivery in 2028 as part of the nine-ship, £35 billion Hunter programme.