Rohde & Schwarz advances Australian frigate communications programme

A computer-generated image of the future Hunter-class frigate. (BAE Systems)

Rohde & Schwarz (R&S) Australia has completed the preliminary design review of a communications system it is developing for the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) Hunter-class frigates.

The company said on 6 July that the review assessed its naval integrated communication system (NAVICS), designed to provide secure and reliable communications aboard the vessels.

“Preliminary design demonstrates the system maturity where requirements are allocated to sub-systems, and a system architecture is defined to represent all external and internal interfaces,” the company said.

R&S Australia said NAVICS will support internal and external communications, as well as the processing of classified information, within a multi-level security environment. It added that the next phase of development will involve a critical design review, scheduled to continue through its fourth financial quarter ending in June 2027.

NAVICS is a voice over internet protocol (VoIP)-based system that integrates radios, message-handling systems, alarms, and cryptographic systems. It can also incorporate wireless communications solutions, including wireless headsets, to provide greater mobility for personnel. The system is compatible with Link 11, Link 16, and Link 22 tactical data links, supporting multi-domain tactical communications.

According to R&S Australia, NAVICS supports both voice and data communications. Its voice-priority feature enables an external radio channel being used for data transmission to be temporarily reassigned for voice traffic, with data transfers resuming once the voice communication has concluded.

R&S Australia received a contract from BAE Systems Maritime Australia (BAESMA) in August 2024 to supply NAVICS for the first three Hunter-class frigates. BAESMA is building the ships under a programme awarded by the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) in 2018.