BAE Systems to upgrade Australian navy SATCOM terminals
NewsMay 30, 2017
EDINBURGH PARKS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Royal Australian Navy (RAN) officials selected BAE Systems Australia to deliver upgrades for the maritime satellite communications terminals. The contract spans over four years and is worth an estimated $30 million.
The upgrade of maritime satellite communications terminals called Maritime element of the Advanced SATCOM Terrestrial Infrastructure System (MASTIS) increased bandwidth, which will provide more efficient usage of defense satellite capacity and enhanced network interoperability between ships, aircraft, and land based platforms.
The MASTIS terminals are equipped with two antennas which are capable of transmitting and receiving in X and Ka-bands simultaneously and they are able to connect to two different satellites at the same time.
MASTIS terminals are fitted in three variants in the RAN fleet including the dual antenna terminal variant fitted to Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ships and Air Warfare Destroyers (AWD). The upgrade addresses all of the Navy’s in-service MASTIS fleet of 17 ship fitted systems and 1 training suite.
Work will be performed at BAE Systems facilities at Edinburgh Parks in South Australia and North Ryde in Sydney. The upgrade is an extension to BAE Systems Australia’s existing MASTIS support contract. BAE Systems will also be working with AIRBUS Defence and Space, which supplied a significant portion of the original terminals including the three axis stabilised antenna system.
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