BAE Systems to equip US Navy’s Virginia-class subs with modular masts

December 9, 2025, by Fatima Bahtić

Defense major BAE Systems has been awarded a $36 million production contract from Lockheed Martin to deliver multifunction modular mast (MMM) systems for integration onto the US Navy’s Virginia-class submarines.

As disclosed, the MMM system is a radio frequency receiving antenna that provides the navy submarines the ability to detect, identify, and direction-find adversary communications signals before rising to the surface.

The antennas will mount on new Virginia-class submarines and feed into Lockheed Martin’s AN/BLQ-10 electronic warfare (EW) system.

As network-centric naval warfare evolves, advanced sensors, data links, communications, and EW systems are needed to outpace threats.

According to BAE, the MMM system plays a critical role in electromagnetic spectrum dominance and strategic situational awareness. It provides operators with a “reliable secondary source” to detect nearby adversaries, in addition to radar and sonar.

The tactical communications receiving antenna resides in a composite radome. Its pressure-rated and corrosion-resistant design allows the unit to survive the harsh undersea environment and maximize signal-gathering performance while minimizing visibility of the mast and platform.

The system also includes a payload module that enables the US Navy to incorporate additional sensors for other mission applications.

“In dynamic and contested environments, stealth is key, and submarines rely on accurate communications signal information to make decisions quickly,” said Michael Rottman, program area director for Maritime Sensors and Systems at BAE Systems.

“The Multifunction Modular Mast system equips U.S. Navy submarines with critical capabilities to locate and identify potential threats, enabling them to analyze and respond accordingly.”

To remind, last month, the US Navy took delivery of USS Massachusetts (SSN 798), the 25th Virginia-class submarine, from HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division.