HMAS Adelaide (L01), Australia’s second Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ship, is successfully completing her second and final sea trials in Port Phillip Bay. The 27,800-tonne warship will return to BAE Systems’ Williamstown shipyard later on August 28 where she will then be prepared for delivery to the Department of Defence’s Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
The main focus of the final sea trials was on testing the ship’s combat and communications systems. They were undertaken over a 10-day period throughout the ship’s journey from Williamstown to Jervis Bay, NSW and the return voyage. These areas were chosen to provide maximum flexibility and proximity to the Australian Defence Force assets being used.
The Royal Australian Navy will have the opportunity to perform various routine alongside exercises as it continues to build its capability for crewing the vessel while the ship compartments and systems are progressively handed over to the HMAS Adelaide (L01) crew as part of the overall ship delivery process.
The crew has already been trained for its role on the RAN’s second LHD ship. BAE Systems Australia trained all 700 crew serving on HMAS Adelaide (L01) and HMAS Canberra (L02) at the Company’s state-of-the-art training facility at Mascot, Sydney.
Director of Maritime, BAE Systems Australia, Bill Saltzer said: «The upcoming handover will of course be a very proud day for all involved with building HMAS Adelaide (L01), but it won’t be the end of our involvement with these mighty ships. As prime contractor for LHD In Service Support, our team of experienced engineers, technicians and logisticians in both Sydney and Williamstown will continue to be the key partner to the CASG and RAN in managing the availability of these two ships at Garden Island, Sydney. Our LHD team is now focused on the final elements of work in preparing HMAS Adelaide (L01) for delivery. Some of the team members on the LHD build program will then transition to the support services group. Some have already made that transition since the time of delivery of HMAS Canberra (L02). BAE Systems has the capability, experience and facilities to support and upgrade the Navy’s ships, as we are currently successfully demonstrating on the Anzac Frigate Anti-Ship Missile Defence upgrade project and our other support activities on both Anzac and Adelaide Class Frigates, Hydrographic Vessels and systems/components installed on the RAN’s minehunters and submarines».
Characteristics
| PLATFORM CHARACTERISTICS | |
| Length Overall | 757 feet/230.8 m |
| Length Waterline | 680 feet/207.2 m |
| Beam | 105 feet/32 m |
| Design Draft | 23.5 feet/7.18 m |
| Full Load Displacement | 27,831 tonnes |
| Crew and Embarked Forced Accommodation | 1,403 |
| MACHINERY | |
| Propulsion | 2 × Siemens 11,000 kW PODs |
| Bowthruster | 2 × 1,500 kW Brunvoll/Siemens motors |
| Stabilisers | 2 × Fincantieri |
| Generators | 1 × 22,000 kW GE LM2500 Gas Turbine and 2 × 7,680 kW Diesel |
| Integrated Platform Management System | Navantia – Sistemas |
| Fresh Water | 6 × Reverse Osmosis Plants (each 25 tonnes/day) |
| Sewage | 2 × Treatment Plants |
| PERFORMANCE | |
| Maximum Speed | 20+ knots/23+ mph/37+ km/h |
| Economic Speed | 15 knots/17 mph/28 km/h |
| Maximum Range | 9,250 NM/10,644 miles/17,131 km |
| Endurance | 45+ days |
| CAPACITY | |
| Flight Deck | 51,128.57 feet²/4,750 m² |
| Dock (including ramp) | 12,540 feet²/1,165 m² |
| Heavy Cargo Garage | 12,270.86 feet²/1,410 m² |
| Light Cargo Garage | 20,236 feet²/1,880 m² |
| Hangar | 10,656.27 feet²/990 m² |
| Garages, Hangar and Well Dock | 1,350 lane meter (2.9 m wide) |
| General Store Rooms | 11,614.26 feet²/1,079 m² |
| Future Growth Margin | 672 tonnes |