The first warship from the Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance successfully completes its sea trials.
The first of three next-generation warships from the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Alliance has successfully completed sea trials off the coast of South Australia. These included testing the ship’s hull, propulsion and navigation systems.
HMAS Hobart was built at Techport, the naval industry hub in Adelaide, which is also expected to be where 12 Shortfin Barracuda submarines will be built by French shipbuilder DCNS for the Royal Australian Navy.
AWD Alliance General Manager Lloyd Beckett said the second phase of advanced trials would take place early next year when the combat and communication systems of Hobart were ready.
Hobart is more than 140 m long, has a top speed of more than 28 knots, a range of about 5000 nautical miles and room for more than 200 crew members. The AWDs will also be equipped with anti-surface, anti-submarine, and naval gunfire capabilities. Hobart has surface launched torpedoes, a Phalanx short-range air and surface defence system, NULKA missile decoy system, front-mounted as well as towable sonar systems and a flight-deck suitable for a helicopter similar to an MH-60R Seahawk.
Over the coming months, further progress on the AWD Project will be demonstrated when the second destroyer HMAS Brisbane enters the water following its launch in December. Hull consolidation of the third destroyer, HMAS Sydney, is expected to take place in August 2017.
The Hobart-class destroyers are part of an $8 billion collaboration between ASC, Raytheon Australia and the Department of Defence.