Australian Warship gets BAE Mast Under AMCAP Program

The Royal Australian Navy’s third Anzac-class frigate has received a new mast built by BAE Systems as part of its Anzac Class Midlife Capability Assurance Program (AMCAP).

The Navy’s HMAS Warramunga warship is currently at Henderson Shipyard, Western Australia. The upgrade program, known as AMCAP and being implemented by the Warship Asset Management Agreement (WAMA) Alliance, is now onto its third Anzac-class frigate after HMA Ships Arunta and Anzac completed the upgrade in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

Major Projects Implementation Manager Commander Mark Williams said the new mast was designed to accommodate the SEA 1448 Phase 4B - Long Range Air Search Radar, as well as provide an improved Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) capability. Both of the new radar systems were designed by Canberra-based company CEA Technologies.

“The SPS-49, which is being replaced as part of AMCAP, has served the frigates well but it is important to keep pace with modern technology to maintain the robust frontline capability provided by these ships,” Commander Williams said.

CEA also developed an anti-ship missile defense radar known as CEAFAR which is currently installed on the frigates.

The new 1448 mast was designed and built by BAE Systems to support the CEAFAR2-L Phased Array Radar capability, in addition to the existing CEAFAR1-S and 1-X PAR capabilities.

The Anzac Class Midlife Capability Assurance Program ensures that Anzac Class Frigates will be sustained for the remainder of their service life, allowing them to remain an effective fighting unit until they are replaced by the Hunter-class frigate fleet.

The WAMA Alliance is a strategic partnership between the Commonwealth of Australia, BAE Systems, SAAB Australia, and Naval Ship Management Australia to deliver total asset management of the Anzac Class Frigates.