What are UNICORN masts? How can it improve the stealth of the Indian Navy

India and Japan have on Thursday formalised their first-ever co-development project of the Naval Radio Antenna “UNICORN”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described it as a “new chapter” in the defence technology partnership between the two nations. The original agreement was signed in Tokyo in November 2024, and it was formalised in the 16th India-Japan annual summit. It makes India the second Asian country, after the Philippines, to receive Japanese technology.

What is the UNICORN mast?

UNICORN is an abbreviation of Unified Complex Radio Antenna, also known as NORA-50. It is a state-of-the-art design to integrate multiple communication systems, navigation, and electronic warfare and scattered antennas into a single, unified radar mast. It houses tactical data link, TACAN (Tactical Air Navigation System), communications, Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), and Electronic Support Measures (ESM) for radar and communication interception into one unified dome also known as radome.

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How can UNICORN increase the stealth of the Indian Navy?

Conventional masts scatter multiple antennas across various points on the ship, each acting as a small radar reflector that adds to the vessel's overall radar cross-section. UNICORN enhances stealth primarily by cutting down the number of exposed, radar-reflective antennas dotting a warship's superstructure. UNICORN can shrink RCS by as much as 50 percent compared to legacy masts and maximises the stealth capabilities of modern warships. The unified design also improves the range at which the ship can detect incoming radio emissions, since antenna placement is optimised rather than scattered, while simultaneously freeing up deck space and easing maintenance, since technicians work with one integrated unit instead of several separate systems spread across the ship.