The installation of the new mast was conducted at BAE Systems Australia’s Henderson facility in Western Australia. Credit: © 2019 BAE Systems.

BAE Systems Australia has installed a new mast on the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Anzac-class frigate, HMAS Anzac, as part of a mid-life upgrade programme.

The mast was installed at BAE Systems Australia’s Henderson facility and represents a milestone in the project.

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BAE Systems is the upgrade partner for Australia’s Anzac-class frigates.

AMCAP is part of the Warship Asset Management Agreement (WAMA) signed between the Australian government, BAE Systems, Saab Australia and Naval Ship Management (NSM).

The programme is intended to jointly support the Anzac-class frigates until their replacement with nine Hunter-class frigates.

BAE Systems Australia’s subsidiary ASC Shipbuilding is under a contract to design and build the Hunter-class ships for the RAN.

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In a statement, BAE Systems said that HMAS Anzac’s undocking will take place later this year. Prior to rejoining service with the Navy next year, the frigate is expected to undergo sea trials.

BAE Systems chief executive Gabby Costigan said: “The successful integration of the mast onto HMAS Anzac demonstrates the important maritime engineering capability that the company has developed and maintained having built and provided front line support for these mighty warships for more than three decades.

“The new Australian L-Band active phased array radar will provide the RAN with a world-leading capability that will support its operational requirements well into the future.”

The replacement mast for HMAS Anzac is taller and wider and is designed to accommodate the new CEA L-Band radar system, which replaces the previous AN/SPS-49(V)8 radar system, and the existing anti-ship missile defence (ASMD) radar capability.

The new L-Band active phase array radar, which comes with an integrated ‘friend and foe’ capability, is integrated into the frigate’s existing combat management system.

In June this year, HMAS Anzac’s sister vessel HMAS Arunta returned to service after completing the AMCAP upgrade.

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