File image of HMAS Adelaide. (Defence)

BAE Systems Australia has announced that it will deliver a capability improvement to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) with the upgrade of maritime satellite communications (SATCOM) terminals under a four-year project worth $30 million.

This upgrade of what is known as MASTIS, or Maritime element of the Advanced SATCOM Terrestrial Infrastructure System, will provide a major enhancement to RAN operations, BAE Systems stated. The upgrade is an extension to BAE Systems Australia’s existing MASTIS support contract.

“The upgrade will be achieved through the delivery of vastly increased bandwidth, which will provide more efficient usage of Defence satellite capacity and enhanced network interoperability between ships, aircraft and land-based platforms,” the company stated.

MASTIS terminals are fitted in three variants, including the dual-antenna terminal variant fitted to the Landing Helicopter Dock ships and the Air Warfare Destroyers.

The 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.

Work will be undertaken at BAE Systems facilities at Edinburgh Parks in South Australia and in Sydney, resulting in the creation of up to 20 new jobs.

The MASTIS terminals are equipped with two antennas that are capable of transmitting and receiving in X-band and Ka-band simultaneously, and they are able to connect to two different satellites at the same time.