Australia’s Hunter-class frigate communications system completes PDR

July 10, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

The integrated communications system (ICS) for the Royal Australian Navy’s Hunter-class frigate program has completed its Preliminary Design Review (PDR).

The PDR, completed by Rohde & Schwarz Australia in partnership with BAE Systems Maritime Australia, confirmed the maturity of the system design, with requirements allocated across subsystems and the overall architecture defined, including internal and external interfaces.

The ICS is being developed for the first three Hunter-class frigates and will provide a multi-domain communications capability integrating internal and external communications systems. At the center of the system is NAVICS, which will serve as the communications backbone of the frigates, enabling secure and reliable information exchange across multiple security levels.

“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 companies said.

Rohde & Schwarz Australia Head of Programs (Navy), Paul Chisholm, said the design deliverables received positive feedback during the review, with discussions held with the shipbuilder and the Australian Commonwealth regarding the next phase of development.

“The achievement of this milestone demonstrates Rohde & Schwarz Australia’s adherence to delivering on its commitments, with flawless execution and strong collaboration with BAESMA to ensure successful platform integration,” Chisholm said.

The next major milestone for the ICS program will be the Critical Design Review (CDR), scheduled to take place during the second and fourth quarters of 2026.

The company has also expanded its workforce to support engineering activities related to the design and manufacture of the communications system, with further growth expected as the Hunter-class program progresses.

Rohde & Schwarz Australia Managing Director Gareth Evans said the successful review reflected the strong cooperation between the company, BAE Systems Maritime Australia and the Commonwealth.

“This is an important step in the delivery of our ICS for the Hunter Class Frigate Program,” Evans said, adding that the collaboration aims to support the Royal Australian Navy’s future operational requirements.

The Hunter-class frigate program is intended to deliver nine anti-submarine warfare frigates for the Royal Australian Navy, based on the UK’s Type 26 Global Combat Ship design. The vessels are being built in Australia as part of the country’s broader effort to strengthen sovereign naval shipbuilding capability.