Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, on 16 June 2017 attended a ceremony at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide to mark the Government’s provisional acceptance of the first Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Hobart.
Defence accepts delivery of first Air Warfare Destroyer Hobart
Minister Pyne said Hobart is the first of three AWD’s being built and integrated by the Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance which comprises the Department of Defence, Raytheon Australia, ASC and support from Navantia.
«The acceptance of this first of class ship is a further demonstration of the success of the Government-led reform initiative, with the program meeting all budget and schedule targets, Hobart will enter into service later this year», Minister Pyne said.
«Hobart will play a critical role for Defence by providing new interoperable capabilities for the Royal Australian Navy. By using a combination of U.S. and Australian technologies, these ships will allow us to work even closer with our allies. Importantly, these ships will provide a safer environment for Australia’s entire Defence Force, as they have the ability to move faster for longer, whilst forming a protective bubble around themselves and other assets in a task force», he said.
Over the last decade, more than 5,000 skilled Australians have constructed all three AWD’s whilst also creating a new combat and support system to meet the unique needs of the Australian Defence Force.
Minister Pyne said provisional acceptance represented some of the most complex and innovative engineering accomplishments ever undertaken in Australia.
«These skills have taken over a decade to build and position Australia well to support the Government’s new Naval Shipbuilding Plan», he said. «The AWD program underscores the importance of Australia’s defence industry as a fundamental input into capability. Rather than just being a supplier for Defence, this program proves how Australian defence industry is truly a strategic partner with Defence».
Characteristics
Length
481.3 feet/146.7 m
Beam
61 feet/18.6 m
Draft
23.6 feet/7.2 m
Full load displacement
7,000 tonnes
Main Engine
36 MW/48,276 hp
Top speed
28+ knots/32 mph/52 km/h
Range at 18+ knots/21 mph/33 km/h
5,000+ NM/5,779 miles/9,300 km
Crew
186
Accommodation
234
Combat System
Aegis Weapon System Baseline 7.1
AN/SPY-1D(V) Phased Array Radar (81 NM/93 miles/150 km)
06 March 2017, the Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance celebrated the successful completion of Sea Acceptance Trials by the first destroyer HMAS Hobart (DDGH-39) following 21 days at sea off the coast of South Australia.
Hobart Sea Acceptance Trials
AWD Alliance General Manager Paul Evans remarked that sea trials were a significant achievement for the Air Warfare Destroyer project in proving the advanced platform and combat systems on-board the ship. «Over the past five weeks, the AWD Alliance has conducted some 20 platform system tests and 45 combat system tests, to successfully validate Hobart’s complete Mission System. Combined, these systems will deliver a world leading capability for the Royal Australian Navy», said Evans. «Completing Acceptance Sea Trials on a first of class ship is a momentous occasion for the Alliance as we move closer to delivering Hobart to Defence. It has been achieved through the extraordinary efforts of the on-board crew and support team, whose dedication and commitment has been instrumental in ensuring the success of Hobart’s sea trials».
The Alliance is on track to deliver HMAS Hobart (DDGH-39) to Defence in June 2017 representing more than decade of dedication and effort by the AWD shipbuilding and combat system workforce on one of the most complex defence projects in Australia’s history.
Significant progress has been made on the AWD project and destroyer HMAS Hobart (DDGH-39) to reach this milestone with work commencing in January 2010, hull consolidation in March 2014, official launch in May 2015 and Builder’s Sea Trials in September 2016.
Shipbuilder ASC, shipbuilder manager Navantia, and combat systems integrator Raytheon Australia, offered their congratulations on the successful completion of Sea Acceptance Trials.
ASC Shipbuilding CEO, Mark Lamarre, expressed his pride in the shipbuilding workforce and the broader naval shipbuilding industry in Australia. «Successful completion of Sea Acceptance Trials is a great moment for the thousands of shipbuilders who have been working on this project, bringing the ship to life», Lamarre said. «This proves the highly skilled and professional naval shipbuilding capability that exists right here in South Australia. It is a testament to the collaborative nature of the project, which has seen industry working together to deliver to the RAN a new and potent air warfare capability. This achievement shows the way forward for future shipbuilding in Australia».
Navantia Australian Operations Director, Jorge Filgueira, echoed these sentiments: «Navantia acknowledges this significant achievement as being the result of a team effort, where Navantia’s experience as designer and shipbuilder has contributed significantly to the success of the Program», Filgueira said. «Navantia’s highly skilled team is well integrated within the AWD Alliance and is committed to having the Program achieve its delivery schedule. The results of the sea trials are very encouraging and provide the necessary confidence that we are on track to build up the capability that will be necessary to undertake the future naval continuous shipbuilding programs in Australia».
Managing Director of Raytheon Australia, Michael Ward, said that this is a momentous day for Raytheon Australia, its dedicated workforce and our nation’s sovereign defence industry. «The successful testing of the AWD combat system highlights the strength of Raytheon Australia’s capabilities in combat systems integration and the company’s ability to deliver to budget and schedule», Ward said. «As the combat systems integrator for the project, Raytheon Australia has applied its highly skilled AWD workforce of 350 people including architects, systems engineers and project managers to the project over the last decade. The combat system is what gives the AWDs their lethality. The work that Raytheon Australia has successfully undertaken is critical to the deterrent nature of the naval surface fleet and its ability to interoperate with the United States».
AWD Alliance Program Manager, Commodore Craig Bourke commented that the successful completion of Sea Acceptance Trials was achieved through the combined efforts of the 200+ crew on-board, with assistance from the Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, and Defence industry. «Hobart’s sensors, weapons and communications systems have been put to the test by Royal Australian Air Force and civilian aircraft, Royal Australian Navy ships and helicopters through a complex series of simulated scenarios and battle space management», Commodore Bourke said. «This achievement demonstrates and proves the capacity of Australia’s sovereign defence industry to successfully build and integrate ships for our specific defence needs. It also speaks volumes about the AWD Alliance’s close level of customer involvement and collaboration on every aspect of the project, laying the foundations for future defence projects in Australia».
Further progress on the AWD Project is expected to be achieved in 2017 with the second destroyer, Brisbane undertaking Builder’s Sea Trials and third destroyer, Sydney, achieving hull consolidation later this year.
Characteristics
Length
481.3 feet/146.7 m
Beam
61 feet/18.6 m
Draft
23.6 feet/7.2 m
Full load displacement
7,000 tonnes
Main Engine
36 MW/48,276 hp
Top speed
28+ knots/32 mph/52 km/h
Range at 18+ knots/21 mph/33 km/h
5,000+ NM/5,779 miles/9,300 km
Crew
186
Accommodation
234
Combat System
Aegis Weapon System Baseline 7.1
AN/SPY-1D(V) Phased Array Radar (81 NM/93 miles/150 km)
On September 13, the Air Warfare Destroyer Project enters an exciting new phase with Hobart commencing its first series of sea trials, Builder’s Sea Trials. This phase will demonstrate the functionality of the ship’s propulsion, maneuvering, auxiliary, control and navigation systems. Following Builder’s Sea Trials, in early 2017 HMAS Hobart (DDGH-39) will undertake Category 5 (CAT5) trials to test and demonstrate the ship’s more advanced systems and the combat system performance.
Hobart being turned with tug assistance to enable further testing on her port side
HMAS Hobart (DDGH-39) will conduct Builder’s Sea Trials off the coast of South Australia over several days in September. Throughout this period the ship will be operated under the command of a civilian Master and crew, augmented by specialists from the Alliance and key equipment suppliers who will perform the system testing and trials.
Before the ship is put to sea, the AWD Alliance will conduct a comprehensive assessment to ensure the safety of the ship, embarked personnel, the environment and other seafarers. This assessment is defined as the Alliance Sea Trials Release Process and has three major steps; the Sea Worthiness Assessment, Ship Sea Trials Release and Sea Readiness Confirmation.
During Builder’s Sea Trials, whilst the ship is at sea, a dedicated shore support team will remain in constant communications with the Ship’s Master to assist the ship and ensure the success of the trials. In the lead up to Builder Sea Trials the AWD Alliance continues to complete a number of important alongside dock trials – testing the ships systems before it departs to sea for the first time. Tests include Inclining Trials, measuring the ship’s stability and vertical center of gravity, and Bollard Trials, testing the ship’s propulsion system.
Hobart, the first of Australia’s three new Air Warfare Destroyers, left the shipyard to begin her initial Builder Sea Trials. The second ship is due to be launched in December, and the third is about half-built (AWDA photo)
Characteristics
Length
481.3 feet/146.7 m
Beam
61 feet/18.6 m
Draft
23.6 feet/7.2 m
Full load displacement
7,000 tonnes
Main Engine
36 MW/48,276 hp
Top speed
28+ knots/32 mph/52 km/h
Range at 18+ knots/21 mph/33 km/h
5,000+ NM/5,779 miles/9,300 km
Crew
186
Accommodation
234
Combat System
Aegis Weapon System Baseline 7.1
AN/SPY-1D(V) Phased Array Radar (81 NM/93 miles/150 km)
The AWD Alliance reached another major milestone in the lead up to sea trials for the HMAS Hobart (DDGH-39) with the commencement of «Main Engine Light-Off» – or starting of one of the main engines that will drive the ship’s propellers.
The Hobart-class destroyers are being built under Australia’s SEA 4000 program, which will ultimately deliver three advanced multirole ships
The large 5,650 kW/7,577 hp Bravo V16 Propulsion Diesel engine burst into life on Thursday 14 April, in an engine room deep below the main superstructure of the ship.
It will drive the port-side propeller while the other Bravo propulsion diesel, to be started in coming weeks, will drive the starboard propeller. They will provide the propulsion power for the HMAS Hobart (DDGH-39) to travel at low speeds, while higher speeds will be achieved by two gas turbines, which are yet to be commissioned on the ship.
Platform Test and Activation Manager Mike Clements said the successful commencement of Main Engine Light-Off (MELO) is a testament to the work completed by hundreds of AWD personnel across the shipyard in bringing the ship’s systems and engine to this point.
«Main Engine Light-Off is a major milestone for any warship and the start of the MELO activities this week is a great achievement for everyone who has contributed to the ship to date», Mike said.
The main propulsion engines were made by Navantia in Spain and transported to Australia by barge. There are a further four diesel generator engines on-board for the ship’s electrical power that have been commissioned and are currently undergoing parallel testing.
In coming months, once MELO is complete, the propulsion engines will be connected to the propellers and «dock trials» conducted, in which the engines turn the propellers while the ship remains roped to the dock.
The main propulsion engines were made by Navantia in Spain and transported to Australia by barge
Characteristics
Length
481.3 feet/146.7 m
Beam
61 feet/18.6 m
Draft
23.6 feet/7.2 m
Full load displacement
7,000 tonnes
Main Engine
36 MW/48,276 hp
Top speed
28+ knots/32 mph/52 km/h
Range at 18+ knots/21 mph/33 km/h
5,000+ NM/5,779 miles/9,300 km
Crew
186
Accommodation
234
Combat System
Aegis Weapon System Baseline 7.1
AN/SPY-1D(V) Phased Array Radar (81 NM/93 miles/150 km)
Integrated Sonar System incorporating a hull mounted and towed array sonar
Communications Suite
Aviation
Flightdeck and hangar for one helicopter
Boats
Two Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIBs)
This computer-generated animation highlights the multi-mission capability of the three naval destroyers being built as part of the Air Warfare Destroyer Project
Lockheed Martin’s Integrated Test Team (ITT) begins Aegis combat system integration and testing aboard the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) first Aegis-equipped Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD), HMAS Hobart (DDGH-39).
Lockheed Martin Integrated Test Team start Aegis Combat System integration and testing
The Aegis Combat System testing will be facilitated by Lockheed Martin engineers and technicians who are responsible for testing the Aegis Combat System to ensure the equipment is properly installed and functional.
«The Lockheed Martin team has successfully brought Aegis to life», said Rob Milligan, Lockheed Martin Australia, surface ships program lead. «Our team is dedicated to ensuring the successful delivery of Hobart’s Aegis capability to the Royal Australian Navy».
Lockheed Martin anticipated the need for the future Australian domestic sustainment of Aegis on AWD several years prior to this event. Lockheed Martin used internal funds to develop specialist skills in the Aegis Combat System for Australian AWD Program workforce. «We strengthened the AWD test team which now includes experienced Lockheed Martin engineers and technicians from both Australia and the United States to conduct the Aegis combat systems integration», Milligan added.
The Hobart-class destroyers are being built under Australia’s SEA 4000 program, which will ultimately deliver three advanced multirole ships. These ships will be Australia’s first ships to be equipped with Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Weapon System including the SPY-1D(V) radar. When paired with the Mk-41 Vertical Launching System (VLS), Aegis is capable of delivering missiles for every mission and threat environment in naval warfare. The RAN has received the Lockheed Martin Aegis Baseline 8 configuration, which integrates commercial-off-the-shelf technology and open architecture into the combat system.
«This milestone is a significant step towards an increase in the Royal Australian Navy’s maritime security capabilities through the seamless integration of the Aegis combat system to defend against advanced air, surface and subsurface threats», said Commodore Craig Bourke, CSC, RAN Program Manager Air Warfare Destroyer. «With more than 100 Aegis-equipped ships deployed worldwide, Australia is joining a family of allied nations that continues to push the boundaries of innovation with adaptable and affordable capabilities that meet the warfighter’s multi-mission needs».
Lockheed Martin is the Aegis Combat Systems Integrator and engineering agent for the U.S. Navy Aegis destroyers and cruisers, Australian Air Warfare Destroyers, as well as a range of other international customers for both new construction and modernisations. Lockheed Martin also provides the combat system engineering, integration and test for the U.S. Navy’s future frigate and Freedom class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programs.
With more than 40 years of significant investment by the U.S. Navy and its allies, the Aegis Combat System is used globally by five navies, across seven ship classes. Lockheed Martin is the trusted Aegis Combat Systems Integration partner to governments around the world, enabling mission ready, combat capable ships affordably and timely to the fleet.
Characteristics
Length
481.3 feet/146.7 m
Beam
61 feet/18.6 m
Draft
23.6 feet/7.2 m
Full load displacement
7,000 tonnes
Main Engine
36 MW/48,276 hp
Top speed
28+ knots/32 mph/52 km/h
Range at 18+ knots/21 mph/33 km/h
5,000+ NM/5,779 miles/9,300 km
Crew
186
Accommodation
234
Combat System
Aegis Weapon System Baseline 7.1
AN/SPY-1D(V) Phased Array Radar (81 NM/93 miles/150 km)
Integrated Sonar System incorporating a hull mounted and towed array sonar
Communications Suite
Aviation
Flightdeck and hangar for one helicopter
Boats
Two Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIBs)
This computer-generated animation highlights the multi-mission capability of the three naval destroyers being built as part of the Air Warfare Destroyer Project
