Raytheon Anschütz, a business of Raytheon Technologies, has signed a contract with BAE Systems Australia’s maritime division for initial design work of an integrated navigation and bridge system for the Royal Australian Navy’s Hunter class frigate programme.

Raytheon Anschütz will design and manufacture a warship integrated navigation and bridge system (WINBS) for the Hunter class frigate programme, which will deliver nine of the world’s most advanced anti-submarine warfare frigates for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

The contract with BAE Systems Australia’s maritime division is for initial engineering work, with the potential for the scope to ramp up over time. Under this initial scope, Raytheon Anschütz will provide systems design engineering and requirements verification for the WINBS.

Raytheon Anschütz’s country manager for Australia, Andrè Moritz, said: “The contract signing with Raytheon Anschütz as the navigation system integrator in this early phase of the Hunter programme marks the starting point to execute and maximise localisation opportunities with the Australian industry. It shows the confidence of both the Commonwealth as well as of BAE Systems Australia in Raytheon Anschütz.”

Raytheon Anschütz will leverage experience gained from the integration of its WINBS into Type 26 frigates, under construction in the UK, as well as the radar replacement programme for the RAN’s ANZAC class.

Raytheon Anschütz’s head of naval surface combatants business unit, Jörg Dammrich, said: “WINBS, which is based on our SYNAPSIS integrated navigation system, has become a world-leading, scalable and modular naval navigation solution, and will serve the RAN with a state-of-the-art navigation suite over the coming decades.”

BAE Systems Australia’s maritime division will design, build and deliver nine of the world’s most advanced anti-submarine warfare frigates, known as the Hunter class, to the RAN. The Hunter class frigates are based on the Type 26 reference ship design, which is currently under construction in Glasgow, UK, for the Royal Navy.