New Zealand’s first upgraded frigate shows off new mast

The Royal New Zealand Navy has shared first photos of the upgraded Anzac-class frigate HMNZS Te Kaha.

The most notable change following the upgrade was the ship’s new fore & aft masts which house a suite of electronic warfare equipment necessary for the Lockheed Martin Canada-developed CMS 330 combat management system.

Lockheed Martin Canada’s CMS 330 combat management system was initially developed for Canada’s Department of National Defence and then modified for the Royal New Zealand Navy with Canada’s support.

HMNZS Te Kaha was the first of two NZ Navy frigates to undergo the extensive modernization, arriving at Seaspan’s shipyard in Victoria, British Columbia, in March 2018.

Under a contract signed between the New Zealand government and Lockheed Martin Canada in 2014, HMNZS Te Kaha was fitted with updated equipment and systems including the combat management system, radar and underwater sonar.

Te Kaha’s sister ship, HMNZS Te Mana, arrived in Canada for the same treatment in March 2019.

In addition CMS upgrades, the frigates are also receiving MBDA’s Sea Ceptor vertical launched, active Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (Maritime) – CAMM(M) which will replace the current RIM7P NATO Seasparrow missile system.