 Hobart,
the first of three air warfare destroyers, seen here during builder sea
trials. Picture: AWD Alliance |
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The successful
completion of Hobart’s Builder Sea Trials represents a decade of
dedication and effort by the AWD workforce on one of the most complex
shipbuilding projects in Australia’s history. “It’s the culmination of years of design and procurement, construction and outfitting, system testing, training and equipment activation. It gives me an enormous sense of pride in seeing our hard work culminate in a successful trial period at sea,” said Mr Beckett. Significant progress has been made on the AWD project and destroyer Hobart to reach this milestone with the ship build commencing in January 2010, hull consolidation in March 2014, and official launch - when the ship floats for the first time - in May 2015. AWD Alliance Program Manager, Commodore Craig Bourke also expressed his satisfaction: “The completion of Hobart’s Builder Sea Trials is a significant step towards delivery of the first AWD to Defence and the most capable warships ever operated by the Royal Australian Navy.” “The AWD Alliance team of shipbuilders and systems integrators can take great pride in attaining this major milestone of sending our first AWD to sea and successfully completing its platform trials,” he said. Over the coming months, further progress on the AWD Project will be demonstrated when the second destroyer Brisbane enters the water following its launch in December 2016, as well as hull consolidation of the third destroyer, Sydney, in August 2017. |
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Hobart
in sea trials. Video: AWD Alliance |
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The AWD Alliance, consisting of shipbuilder ASC, combat systems integrator
Raytheon Australia and the Government’s Capability Acquisition and
Sustainment Group, offered their congratulations for the successful completion
of Builder Sea Trials on the ships return to Techport: “Today is a day when everyone who works in Australia’s highly skilled and professional naval shipbuilding industry can stand tall and be immensely proud. Sea Trials is a visible demonstration of our success as a shipbuilding team,” said ASC Shipbuilding CEO Mark Lamarre. “Moving forward, the highly skilled ASC workforce will continue to consolidate and outfit the remaining two destroyers Brisbane and Sydney, implementing lessons learnt from Hobart’s build along the way, and creating significant improvement in our nation’s shipbuilding capability,” he said. Raytheon Australia Managing Director, Michael Ward, also acknowledged the successful completion of Hobart’s first phase of sea trials. As the combat systems integrator for the AWD project, Raytheon Australia has applied its highly skilled Australian workforce of architects, systems engineers and project managers to the AWD project over the last decade. “Raytheon Australia is responsible for the design, delivery and integration of the AWD Combat System which comprises ten major subsystems, and more than 3,500 major pieces of combat system equipment. This sophisticated combat system contributes to making AWD the most advanced and lethal warship ever operated by the Royal Australian Navy.” “We look forward to Hobart’s continued success on sea trials next year when the AWD’s advanced combat system is tested.” Mr Ward said. Following completion of further sea trials in early 2017, the Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance is scheduled to deliver Hobart to the Department of Defence in June 2017. About the Hobart class (AWD): The AWDs are being built for Australia’s specific defence needs and will provide a significant increase in Australia’s defence capabilities. The AWDs will provide greater protection for ADF personnel by providing air defence for accompanying ships as well as land forces and infrastructure on nearby coastal areas. The AWDs will also provide self-protection against attacking missiles and aircraft. The Aegis Weapon System incorporating the state-of-the-art phased array radar, AN/ SPY 1D(V), in combination with the SM-2 missile, will provide an advanced air defence system capable of engaging enemy aircraft and missiles at ranges in excess of 150 kilometres. The AWDs will also carry a MH-60R Seahawk ‘Romeo’ naval combat helicopter for surveillance and response to support key warfare areas. The surface warfare function will include long range anti-ship missiles and a naval gun capable of firing extended range munitions in support of land forces. The AWDs will also be able to conduct Undersea Warfare and will be equipped with modern sonar systems, decoys and surface-launched torpedoes. Coupled with an array of close-in defensive weapons, all of these capabilities ensure the AWDs have the layered defensive and offensive resources required to win the battle against 21st century conventional and asymmetric threats. |
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First Royal Australian Navy Air Warfare Destroyer Hobart successfully completes Builder Sea Trials
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