BAE Systems Australia announced it is teaming up with the defense department’s Capability and Sustainment Group (CASG) for the upgrade of maritime satellite communications terminals in a four year, $30 million project.
The upgrade of the MASTIS – maritime element of the advanced satcom terrestrial infrastructure system is being undertaken to enhance Australian Navy operations and life at sea.
Undertaken at BAE Systems facilities at Edinburgh Parks in South Australia and North Ryde in Sydney, the upgrade will ensure increased bandwidth which will in turn provide more efficient usage of defence satellite capacity and enhanced network interoperability between ships, aircraft and land based platforms.
According to the company, 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.
This dual-band, dual-antenna approach will provide the Navy with advanced SATCOM availability and a substantial increase in the ship’s data capabilities, even under heavy interference conditions.
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.
MASTIS terminals were designed, developed and delivered by BAE Systems and entered service in 2005. The upgrade will see BAE Systems working with AIRBUS Defence and Space, which supplied a significant portion of the original terminals including the three axis stabilised antenna system.