STS Defence to supply Hunter comms masts
Gosport based STS Defence has been awarded a contract from Rohde & Schwarz Australia Ltd to provide the twin integrated main communications masts for the first three Hunter class frigates being delivered to the Royal Australian Navy under the Hunter Class Frigate Programme (HCFP).
Image courtesy BAE Systems
STS Defence will provide two masts for each of the three frigates, with the first ship-set anticipated to be delivered in 2028. Each mast ship-set will be built in the United Kingdom and shipped to Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia.
STS Defence is the Design Authority for the masts and this contract follows the successful completion of scoping, risk reduction and detailed design studies, leading to Lloyd’s Certification. The top-level design is based on the main communications mast that STS Defence supplied for Batch 1 and 2 of the UK Royal Navy’s Type 26 frigates.
The masts will support a range of antennas providing line of sight communications across a range of frequency bands, also incorporated will be Mast Head Steaming Navigation Lights. Special isolation screens, manufactured from composite materials, will provide isolation between the different frequency bands.
The mast structures will be manufactured and assembled by Mainstay Marine Solutions Ltd in Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire and shipped to Adelaide for installation on the Hunter class frigates.
Ben Stancliffe, Managing Director of STS Defence said: “This is a flagship programme for STS Defence which showcases our technology, design and integration capabilities. We are immensely proud to be providing this mission critical system to one of the most advanced warships in the world”.
"We are delighted to have STS Defence on board as a key supplier for the Hunter Class Frigate Programme," said Gareth Evans, Managing Director of Rohde & Schwarz Australia. "Their expertise in the design and manufacture of high-quality communications masts will be essential in ensuring the success of this programme."