HMAS Brisbane (DDG-41) has recently completed her Category 5 (CAT 5) Sea Trials off the coast of Adelaide. During CAT 5 Sea Trials, the functional performance of the Mission System as a whole is verified. This verification is a pre-requisite to enable the Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance to deliver Brisbane to the Department of Defence for provisional acceptance.

During this phase of trials, testing of key components of both the platform and combat systems occurred. Achieving this key milestone represents an important step closer to becoming the RAN’s newest DDG.

During this period some of Brisbane’s crew were fortunate enough to participate and support the trial process and played a crucial role in assisting the civilian contractors through this process to achieve the desired outcome.

Brisbane’s first catering team, led by POML-C Nicholas Pearce, provided an impressive level of catering support to the 220 Navy and contracted personnel onboard throughout the trial.

Maritime Logistics Officer HMAS Brisbane (DDG-41), Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Warren Lynch, said through careful planning and liaison with uniformed and civilian stakeholders, Brisbane’s chefs were able to provide a high quality of service for the entire period that the ship was at sea.

«The food and service provided by Brisbane’s chefs was consumed with hearty enthusiasm, and thoroughly enjoyed by all», he said. «With introducing a new capability into service, there are always some teething issues and challenges associated with setting to work a new ship and finding your ‘zen’ within a new work space; however, the team performed exceptionally well and were able to adapt quickly and professionally to the new environment».

One of the main challenges encountered by the team was the distance between the main servery line and the galley, which is physically separated by two watertight bulkheads.

After close liaising with the team on HMAS Hobart (DDG-39), the HMAS Brisbane (DDG-41) catering team was able to implement the same measures to ensure that an effective mitigation could be implemented to support a high quality of service throughout the trial.

The successful completion of NUSHIP Brisbane’s CAT 5 trials is another critical milestone that places HMAS Brisbane (DDG-41) within firing distance of her October commissioning date.

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The second Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) HMAS Brisbane (DDG-41) has entered the first phase of sea trials which will take place over the coming weeks, marking further progress towards her delivery to the Royal Australian Navy next year.

This first phase of sea trials will test the ship’s propulsion, manoeuvring, control and navigation systems and will be followed by a more advanced phase of sea trials next year to test Brisbane’s combat and communications systems.

«More broadly, the AWD program continues to meet or exceed our milestone targets since the Government’s successful reform initiative, demonstrating our contribution to industry’s role as a fundamental input into Defence capability», said Mr. Evans.

«Our workforce of more than 1,700 in Adelaide has improved and evolved the production and set to work of these ships, with our whole team working hard to achieve this milestone ahead of post-reform schedule targets», said Paul Evans, AWD Alliance General Manager.

AWD Program Manager Commodore Craig Bourke also acknowledged the collaboration between industry and Government on the program. «The AWD program has built the foundation of Australia’s shipbuilding and systems integration industry, with more than 60 per cent Australian Industry Capability to date», he said.

The AWD enterprise partners include the Department of Defence, Raytheon Australia as the combat systems integrator, ASC as the shipbuilder and Navantia as the shipbuilder manager, all whom emphasised the commitment of the AWD workforce.

Raytheon Australia Managing Director Michael Ward commended the team on today’s achievement. «As the combat systems integrator for the AWD program, Raytheon Australia has applied its highly skilled Australian workforce of 350 architects, systems engineers and project managers to the AWD program over the last decade», he said.

«Raytheon Australia is responsible for the integration of ten major subsystems, including the Aegis Weapon System, which is provided through Foreign Military Sales, and associated delivery of more than 3,500 major pieces of combat system equipment required to establish the warfighting capability of the AWD. This will contribute to making the AWD the most sophisticated warship ever operated by the Royal Australian Navy».

«The commencement of Brisbane’s sea trials is a source of tremendous pride for Raytheon Australia and our home-grown Australian workforce that has built a national asset in complex combat system integration», said Mr. Ward.

ASC Shipbuilding Chief Executive Officer Mark Lamarre said that today’s milestone signifies further progress across the program. «Today marks another big step forward on the journey of delivering three complex surface combatants to the Royal Australian Navy, with the commencement of Builders Sea Trials for the second future destroyer Brisbane», he said.

«Fundamentally, shipbuilding is about people – talented, skilled and experienced people. Our shipbuilding team and their immense skill, capability and pride continues to deliver and demonstrate our strength as a highly capable, sovereign shipbuilder», he said.

«In collaboration with our Alliance partners, including Navantia, we are excited by this great achievement – it is something we should all be proud of, and continues to show the way forward for future shipbuilding in Australia», said Mr. Lamarre.

Navantia Australia’s Managing Director Donato Martínez commented on the sense of pride felt throughout the workforce noting today’s achievement. «It is always an exciting moment for a shipbuilder when a new vessel goes to sea for the first time. Following the commissioning of HMAS Hobart (DDG-39) earlier this year, the sea trials phase for Brisbane demonstrates the success of the Adelaide shipbuilding enterprise», said Mr. Martínez.

«We are proud of the role Navantia has played in meeting the goals of the AWD reform initiative and we look forward to successfully delivering a highly capable warship to the Royal Australian Navy next year», said Mr. Martínez.

Mid-next year, HMAS Brisbane (DDG-41) will be delivered to the Royal Australian Navy to join her sister ship, HMAS Hobart (DDG-39), and will be followed in quick succession by the delivery of the third and final Air Warfare Destroyer, Sydney, in 2019.

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