Rohde & Schwarz awards NAVICS contract for Australian Border Force patrol boats

Rohde & Schwarz’s NAVICS Deal for Australian Border Force Patrol Boats

Our Bureau - : Oct 11, 2025 - : 9:30 pm

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In a move that strengthens defence technology integration within the Asia-Pacific region, Rohde & Schwarz Australia has secured a contract to equip two Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats (ECCPB) under construction for the Australian Border Force (ABF) with its NAVICS integrated communications systems. The agreement covers delivery, installation, acceptance testing and transfer to operational service for these vessels being built at Austal’s Henderson shipyard in Western Australia.

This latest contract builds on a long-standing relationship between Rohde & Schwarz and Austal, and follows the deployment of eight NAVICS-enabled patrol boats to the Royal Australian Navy, including the recently launched ADV Cape Hawke. According to the company, NAVICS will bring a modern, IP-based Multi-Level Security (MLS) architecture to ABF’s maritime assets, enabling secure voice and data communications across multiple security domains.

NAVICS is a proprietary voice-over-IP communications switching system that unifies internal and external communications over a secure, scalable Ethernet network. Its design emphasises domain separation (red/black), redundancy, and intuitive operator interfaces. Globally, Rohde & Schwarz has supplied communications systems to more than 300 naval platforms.

Australia’s Evolved Cape fleet is itself the result of incremental investment to bolster capabilities across territorial waters. The original Cape-class vessels have long served both the Australian Border Force and the Royal Australian Navy, engaging in fisheries protection, immigration enforcement, and maritime surveillance. Under Project SEA1445 Phase 1, Austal has delivered eight ECCPBs to date, with the ADV Cape Spencer recently accepted by Defence in September 2025. In December 2024, the Australian government extended Austal’s contract to build two additional ECCPBs for the ABF, valued at A$137.02 million (approximately USD 85 million).

For Rohde & Schwarz, the ABF deal reaffirms its standing in the Australasian defence supply chain and deepens its local presence. Company officials have noted that their selection as the communications system integrator (CSI) for both the ECCPB and the Hunter Class Frigate programmes illustrates Australia’s ongoing investment in domestic design and integration capabilities. As the Indo-Pacific naval electronics market heats up, the NAVICS platform may well serve as a standardised, exportable backbone for secure maritime communications across allied fleets.