Air Warfare Destroyer NUSHIP Hobart has successfully completed her Sea Acceptance Trials following 21 days at sea off the coast of SA.
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,” Evans said.
“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 [the Commonwealth]. 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 will deliver Hobart in June 2017, having commenced work in 2010. Hull consolidation took place in March 2014, the official launch was in May 2015 and Builder’s Sea Trials occurred in September 2016.
ASC Shipbuilding CEO, Mark Lamarre said 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.
“This proves the highly skilled and professional naval shipbuilding capability that exists right here in South Australia, and 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.”
Navantia Australian operations director Jorge 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 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.”
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.