The ''Hobart'' class is a
ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, is a nuclear aircraft carrier (ship type) of the (ship class).
In the course ...
of three
air warfare
Aerial warfare is the use of military aircraft and other flying machines in warfare. Aerial warfare includes bombers attacking enemy installations or a concentration of enemy troops or strategic targets; fighter aircraft battling for control o ...
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
s (AWDs) built for the
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
(RAN). Planning for ships to replace the
''Adelaide''-class frigates and restore the capability last exhibited by the
''Perth''-class destroyers began by 2000, initially under acquisition project SEA 1400, which was re-designated SEA 4000. Although the designation "Air Warfare Destroyer" is used to describe ships dedicated to the defence of a naval force (plus assets ashore) from aircraft and missile attack, the planned Australian destroyers are expected to also operate in
anti-surface,
anti-submarine
An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...
, and
naval gunfire support
Naval gunfire support (NGFS) (also known as shore bombardment) is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of a number of disciplines encompassed by th ...
roles.
Planning for the Australian Air Warfare Destroyer (as the class was known until 2006) continued through the mid-2000s, with the selection of the
Aegis combat system
The Aegis Combat System is an American integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and it is now produced by Lockheed Martin.
Initially used by the United States Navy, Aegis is now used also by t ...
as the intended combat system and
ASC Pty Ltd
ASC Pty Ltd, formerly the Australian Submarine Corporation, is an Australian government business enterprise involved with Australian naval shipbuilding, headquartered in Osborne, South Australia. It is notable for the construction and main ...
(ASC) as the primary shipbuilder in 2005. In late 2005, the AWD Alliance was formed as a
consortium
A consortium (plural: consortia) is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for ...
of the
Defence Materiel Organisation
The Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) is an organisation within the Department of Defence (Australia), Australian Department of Defence, responsible for Military acquisition, acquisition and Military supply chain management, su ...
(DMO), ASC, and
Raytheon
Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense conglomerate headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It is one of the largest aerospace and defense manufacturers in the world by revenue and market capitaliza ...
. Between 2005 and 2007,
Gibbs & Cox
Gibbs & Cox is an American naval architecture firm that specializes in designing surface warships. Founded in 1922 in New York City, Gibbs & Cox is now headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
The firm has offices in New York City; Washington, D.C ...
's Evolved
''Arleigh Burke''-class destroyer concept and
Navantia
Navantia is a Spanish state-owned shipbuilding company, which offers its services to both military and civil sectors. It is the fifth-largest shipbuilder in Europe and the ninth-largest in the world with shipyards around the globe. The heir to t ...
's
''Álvaro de Bazán''-class frigate competed for selection as the AWD design. Although the ''Arleigh Burke'' design was larger and more capable, the ''Álvaro de Bazán'' design was selected in June 2007 as it was an existing design and would be cheaper, quicker, and less risky to build.
Three ships were ordered in October 2007, and were assembled at ASC's facility in
Osborne, South Australia
Osborne is a suburb in the Australian state of South Australia located on the LeFevre Peninsula in the west of Adelaide about north-west of the Adelaide city centre.
Description
Osborne is bounded to the south by the suburb of Taperoo, to ...
, from 31 pre-fabricated modules (or 'blocks'). An option to build a fourth destroyer was included in the original contract but was not exercised. ASC,
NQEA Australia
NQEA Pty Ltd is an engineering and shipbuilding company based in Cairns, Australia. The company was founded in 1948 as an engineering supply company named North Queensland Engineers & Agents, then expanded in 1966 into shipbuilding and was rena ...
, and
Forgacs Group
Forgacs Marine and Defence (Forgacs), former Forgacs Group, is a major Australian engineering and shipbuilding company. It has facilities at Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane and Gladstone. The company employs 1000 people.
The Forgacs Group acquired ...
were selected in May 2009 to build the blocks, but within two months, NQEA was replaced by
BAE Systems Australia
BAE Systems Australia, a subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, is one of the largest defence contractors in Australia. It was formed by the merger of British Aerospace Australia and GEC-Marconi Systems and expanded by the acquisitions of Armor Holdings ...
. Construction errors and growing delays led the AWD Alliance to redistribute the construction workload in 2011, with some modules to be built by
Navantia
Navantia is a Spanish state-owned shipbuilding company, which offers its services to both military and civil sectors. It is the fifth-largest shipbuilder in Europe and the ninth-largest in the world with shipyards around the globe. The heir to t ...
. Increasing slippage pushed the original planned 2014-2016 commissioning dates out by at least three years, with lead ship to be completed by June 2017, in September 2018, and by March 2020. The AWD Alliance, Navantia, and the involved shipyards were criticised for underestimating risks, costs, and timeframes; faulty
drawings
Drawing is a form of Visual arts, visual art in which an artist uses instruments to mark paper or other two-dimensional surface. Drawing instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, various kinds of paints, inked brushes, colored pencils, ...
and bad building practices leading to repeated manufacturing errors; and blame-passing. The alliance concept was panned for having no clear management structure or entity in charge, and having the DMO simultaneously acting as supplier, build partner, and customer for the ships.
Planning
The 1992 Force Structure Review contained plans to replace the three
''Perth''-class guided-missile destroyers and four of the six
''Adelaide''-class guided-missile frigates with air defence vessels.
[Gulber, ''Growth in Strength'', p. 4] The initial proposal – to build an additional six
''Anzac''-class frigates configured for wide-area
anti-aircraft warfare
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes Surface-to-air m ...
– did not go ahead as the ''Anzac'' design was too small to effectively host all the required equipment and weapons.
[ Instead, the RAN began to upgrade the ''Adelaide''s in 1999 to fill the anti-aircraft capability that would be lost when the ''Perth''s left service between 1999 and 2001.][Gulber, ''Growth in Strength'', p. 5][Pengelley, ''Aussie rules''] The frigate upgrade was only intended as a stop-gap (only four ships were upgraded, and all four were due to decommissioning during the mid-2010s), and by 2000, the Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Forc ...
had begun a project to replace the three ''Perth''-class destroyers.[ The acquisition of the dedicated air warfare destroyers was initially identified as Project SEA 1400, then redesignated Project SEA 4000.][
The main role of the air warfare destroyer is air defence of a naval task group, in addition to assets ashore and operating in the littoral.][ Although specifically designed for air warfare, the AWDs also had to be capable of facing other threats and were to be fitted with ship-to-ship missiles, a gun for ]naval gunfire support
Naval gunfire support (NGFS) (also known as shore bombardment) is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of a number of disciplines encompassed by th ...
of soldiers ashore, and anti-submarine capability through sonar systems and above-water-launched torpedoes.[ The ships had to be able to operate a helicopter for both surveillance and combat duties.][
In 2004, the ]Department of Defence Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philipp ...
identified that the future air warfare destroyer class would be built around the United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
's Aegis Combat System
The Aegis Combat System is an American integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and it is now produced by Lockheed Martin.
Initially used by the United States Navy, Aegis is now used also by t ...
.[ The use of Aegis was formally approved in April 2005, and Raytheon Australia was brought into the AWD project with the responsibility of integrating the Aegis system into the selected design, along with modifications to accommodate RAN-preferred electronic warfare equipment, underwater sensors, and weapons.][ In May 2005, the ASC shipyard at ]Osborne, South Australia
Osborne is a suburb in the Australian state of South Australia located on the LeFevre Peninsula in the west of Adelaide about north-west of the Adelaide city centre.
Description
Osborne is bounded to the south by the suburb of Taperoo, to ...
, was identified as the primary shipbuilder for the project.[ In late 2005, the AWD Alliance was formed to organise and implement the project.][ The Alliance is a consortium including the ]Defence Materiel Organisation
The Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) is an organisation within the Department of Defence (Australia), Australian Department of Defence, responsible for Military acquisition, acquisition and Military supply chain management, su ...
(DMO), ASC's project-dedicated subsidiary, and Raytheon.[
After receiving tenders from ]Blohm + Voss
Blohm+Voss (B+V), also written historically as Blohm & Voss, Blohm und Voß etc., is a German shipbuilding and engineering company. Founded in Hamburg in 1877 to specialise in steel-hulled ships, its most famous product was the World War II battle ...
, Navantia
Navantia is a Spanish state-owned shipbuilding company, which offers its services to both military and civil sectors. It is the fifth-largest shipbuilder in Europe and the ninth-largest in the world with shipyards around the globe. The heir to t ...
, and Gibbs & Cox
Gibbs & Cox is an American naval architecture firm that specializes in designing surface warships. Founded in 1922 in New York City, Gibbs & Cox is now headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
The firm has offices in New York City; Washington, D.C ...
, among others, the Australian government identified Gibbs & Cox's Evolved Flight II ''Arleigh Burke''-class destroyer as the preferred design in August 2005.[Brown, ''Spanish designs are Australia's choice for warship programmes''][Department of Defence, ''Preferred designer chosen for AWD contract''] The ''Álvaro de Bazán''-class frigate, designed by Navantia
Navantia is a Spanish state-owned shipbuilding company, which offers its services to both military and civil sectors. It is the fifth-largest shipbuilder in Europe and the ninth-largest in the world with shipyards around the globe. The heir to t ...
, was identified as the official alternative, and both designs began further testing and modification as part of a two-year selection process.[ The two ship designs were equivalent in many areas, including length, speed and weapons outfit, although the ''Arleigh Burke'' class was larger with a displacement 2,200 tons greater than the Spanish frigate, and had superior capabilities in regards to range ( greater), helicopter operations (two embarked helicopters instead of one), primary armament (a 64-cell ]Mark 41 Vertical Launch System
The Mark 41 Vertical Launching System (Mk 41 VLS) is a shipborne missile canister launching system which provides a rapid-fire launch capability against hostile threats. The Vertical Launch System (VLS) concept was derived from work on the Aegis Co ...
compared to a 48-cell launcher), and close-defence (with a second close-in weapons system
A close-in weapon system (CIWS ) is a point-defense weapon system for detecting and destroying short-range incoming missiles and enemy aircraft which have penetrated the outer defenses, typically mounted on a naval ship. Nearly all classes of la ...
). The Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Russ Shalders, believed the American design would provide the RAN with a greater long-term capability, as there was greater scope for upgrades and modifications later in the ships' careers. Despite the American destroyer being the preferred option, the conclusion of the selection process in late June 2007 saw Navantia's ''Álvaro de Bazán'' design selected: the Spanish ships were considered a less-risky design as, unlike the Evolved ''Arleigh Burke''s (which at this point only existed as an on-paper design), vessels of the Spanish design had been built and were operational.[ The ''Álvaro de Bazán'' derivatives were predicted to be in service four years earlier than the American-designed ships, and would cost A$1 billion less to build, with further financial and technical benefits in ordering the AWDs and the ''Canberra''-class landing helicopter dock ships from the same supplier.][
The contract for the ships was signed on 4 October 2007.][ The A$8 billion three-ship deal included the option to order a fourth ship at a later date.][Kerr, ''Australia seeks to extend AWD options''] This option was due to expire in October 2008.[ The Australian government sought to extend the offer into early 2009, so as to review the recommendations of the '' Defending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030'' white paper due for completion at the end of 2008, and to enquire about acquiring a fourth Aegis system from the USN, before ordering or cancelling the fourth destroyer.][ The ]Navy League of Australia
The Navy League of Australia is an Australian organisation and advocacy group dedicated to creating interest in maritime and naval matters, particularly those relating to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Australian Merchant Navy.
The Na ...
has consistently supported the acquisition of a fourth AWD.[Thornhill, ''Force 2030'', pp. 10–1] According to the Navy League, building a fourth destroyer would be relatively cheap (money for design and other 'start-up' costs would have already been spent) and improve RAN capabilities (by offering increased flexibility and redundancy, particularly in the event of a Falklands War
The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...
-like armed conflict).[ Along with the Navy League, the Australian defence industry has supported a fourth destroyer, to keep workers employed for longer while reducing the gap to the next major defence construction projects (the ''Collins''-class replacement and the ''Anzac''-class replacement).][Kerin, ''Fourth destroyer still an option: Smith'']
The Australian Minister for Defence announced on 20 January 2006 that the Air Warfare Destroyers will be named , , and . The Navy League of Australia suggested several possible names for a possible fourth destroyer; one was to name the ship ''Melbourne''; another involved taking the ''Adelaide'' name from the second ''Canberra''-class landing helicopter dock ship, and renaming the larger vessel ''Australia''.[Thornhill, ''The Case for the Fourth Air Warfare Destroyer'' pp. 9-10]
In April 2022, Navantia Australia made an unsolicited bid to build an additional three Hobart-class air warfare destroyers for the Royal Australian Navy due to possible delays to the Hunter Class Frigate program.
Design
Each destroyer will have a length overall
__NOTOC__
Length overall (LOA, o/a, o.a. or oa) is the maximum length of a vessel's hull measured parallel to the waterline. This length is important while docking the ship. It is the most commonly used way of expressing the size of a ship, an ...
of , a maximum beam of , and a draught of .[ At launch, the ships will have a full-load displacement of .][Gulber, ''Growth in Strength'', p. 8] The ''Hobart''s have been designed to allow for upgrades and installation of new equipment, with a theoretical maximum displacement of .[
The ''Hobart''s use a more powerful propulsion system than their Spanish predecessors.][ The combined diesel or gas turbine (CODOG) propulsion arrangement consists of two General Electric Marine model 7LM2500-SA-MLG38 gas turbines, each generating , and two Caterpillar Bravo 16 V Bravo diesel engines, each providing .][ These drive two propeller shafts, fitted with ]Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä Oyj Abp (), trading internationally as Wärtsilä Corporation, is a Finnish company which manufactures and services power sources and other equipment in the marine and energy markets. The core products of Wärtsilä include technol ...
controllable pitch propeller
In marine propulsion, a variable-pitch propeller is a type of propeller with blades that can be rotated around their long axis to change the blade pitch. Reversible propellers—those where the pitch can be set to negative values—can also ...
s.[ The ships' maximum speed is over , with a range of over at ; although not fast enough to keep pace with an American ]carrier battle group
A carrier battle group (CVBG) is a naval fleet consisting of an aircraft carrier capital ship and its large number of escorts, together defining the group. The ''CV'' in ''CVBG'' is the United States Navy hull classification code for an airc ...
, the RAN is happy with the speed/range tradeoff, as endurance is more important for Australian operating conditions.[ For in-harbour manoeuvring, each destroyer is fitted with a bow thruster.][
The standard ship's company is 186-strong, plus 16 additional personnel to operate and maintain the ship's helicopter.][ Additional accommodation increases the maximum potential complement to 31 officers and 203 sailors.][ Onboard electricity requirements (the ]hotel load
Hotel electric power (HEP) is electricity generated and used by a vehicle, especially a ship, truck, submarine or some turbo prop aircraft without APU generator for purposes other than propulsion such as climate control, communications, entertai ...
) are supplied by four MTU prime mover diesel motors connected to Alconza alternators.[
]
Armament
Each ship's main weapon is a 48-cell Mark 41 Vertical Launch System
The Mark 41 Vertical Launching System (Mk 41 VLS) is a shipborne missile canister launching system which provides a rapid-fire launch capability against hostile threats. The Vertical Launch System (VLS) concept was derived from work on the Aegis Co ...
.[ The cells are capable of firing the RIM-66 Standard 2 anti-aircraft missile or the quad-packed RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow point-defence missile.][ The ''Force 2030'' white paper indicates that the ''Hobart''s Mark 41 launchers are likely to be capable (either as built or through later modification) of firing the RIM-174 Standard 6 anti-aircraft missile and the ]Tomahawk
A tomahawk is a type of single-handed axe used by the many Indigenous peoples and nations of North America. It traditionally resembles a hatchet with a straight shaft. In pre-colonial times the head was made of stone, bone, or antler, and Europ ...
cruise missile.
The missiles are supplemented by two four-canister launchers for Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and a BAE Systems Mark 45 (Mod 4) 5-inch gun with a 62-calibre barrel.[ The 5-inch gun has a maximum range of .][ Two Babcock Mark 32 Mod 9 two-tube torpedo launchers will be carried, and used to fire ]Eurotorp MU90
GEIE EuroTorp is a consortium formed in July 1993 by French and Italian defense companies. Concerned governments signed a memorandum of understanding on industrial co-operation on their new generation lightweight torpedo programs.
Member compa ...
torpedoes at submarines.[ For close-in defence, the ships will carry an aft-facing ]Phalanx CIWS
The Phalanx CIWS (often spoken as "sea-wiz") is a gun-based close-in weapon system to defend military watercraft automatically against incoming threats such as aircraft, missiles, and small boats. It was designed and manufactured by the Gene ...
system, plus two M242 Bushmasters in Typhoon mounts sited on the bridge wings.[Gulber, ''Growth in Strength'', p. 7]
In November 2006, the Australian Government commissioned research on whether the AWDs should be equipped with anti-ballistic missile
An anti-ballistic missile (ABM) is a surface-to-air missile designed to counter ballistic missiles (missile defense). Ballistic missiles are used to deliver nuclear weapon, nuclear, Chemical weapon, chemical, Bioagent, biological, or conventiona ...
capabilities, most likely linked to the United States Department of Defense's Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System
The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System (Aegis BMD or ABMD), also known as ''Sea-Based Midcourse'', is a United States Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency program developed to provide missile defense against short to intermediate- ...
.
The ''Hobart''s carry a single MH-60 Romeo version of the Seahawk. Two rigid-hulled inflatable boat
A rigid inflatable boat (RIB), also rigid-hull inflatable boat or rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB), is a lightweight but high-performance and high-capacity boat constructed with a rigid hull bottom joined to side-forming air tubes that are ...
s are carried.
In September 2021, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the purchase of Tomahawk cruise missiles to equip the AWDs with a land-attack capability as part of the AUKUS
AUKUS (, ) is a trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, announced on 15 September 2021 for the Indo-Pacific region. Under the pact, the US and the UK will help Australia to acquire nuclear-powered ...
security pact.
Sensors and systems
The ''Hobart''s are built around the Aegis combat system
The Aegis Combat System is an American integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and it is now produced by Lockheed Martin.
Initially used by the United States Navy, Aegis is now used also by t ...
, specifically the Aegis Baseline 7.1 Refresh 2 version.[ The system has been 'Australianised' to be more capable in regard to non-aviation threats.][ The system feeds into the Australian Tactical Interface; six multi-function consoles that are capable of handling the destroyer's sonar, electronic warfare, and close-defence functions in addition to Aegis.][ The main radar system is the Lockheed Martin ]AN/SPY-1
The AN/SPY-1 is a United States Navy 3D radar system manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The array is a passive electronically scanned system and a key component of the Aegis Combat System. The system is computer controlled and uses four complement ...
D(V) S-band radar.[ The combination of the AN/SPY-1D(V) radar, Aegis system, and Standard 2 missile will allow each destroyer to fire on enemy aircraft or missiles over away.
In addition to the main radar, the ''Hobart''s will be fitted with a Northrop Grumman AN/SPQ-9B X-band pulse Doppler horizon search radar, a Raytheon Mark 99 fire-control system with two continuous wave illuminating radars for missile direction, and two L-3 Communications SAM Electronics X-band navigation radars.][ The ships are fitted with an Ultra Electronics Sonar Systems' Integrated Sonar System, which includes a hull-mounted sonar and a towed variable depth sonar built up from a quad directional active-passive receive array, a passive torpedo detection array and a high-powered towed sonar source. Other sensors include an Ultra Electronics Series 2500 electro-optical director, a Sagem VAMPIR IR search and track system, and Rafael Toplite stabilised ]target acquisition
Target acquisition is the detection and identification of the location of a target in sufficient detail to permit the effective employment of lethal and non-lethal means. The term is used for a broad area of applications.
A "target" here is an e ...
sights for each ship's Typhoons.[
Electronic warfare sensors consist of the ITT EDO Reconnaissance and Surveillance Systems ES-3701 ]electronic support measures
In military telecommunications, electronic support (ES) or electronic support measures (ESM) gather intelligence through passive "listening" to electromagnetic radiations of military interest. They are an aspect of electronic warfare involving ac ...
(ESM) radar, a SwRI MBS-567A communications ESM system, an Ultra Electronics Avalon Systems multipurpose digital receiver, and a Jenkins Engineering Defence Systems low-band receiver.[ Countermeasures include four launchers for ]Nulka
Nulka is an Australian-designed and -developed active missile decoy built by an American/Australian collaboration. Used aboard warships of the United States Navy (USN), Royal Australian Navy (RAN), United States Coast Guard (USCG), and Royal Cana ...
decoy missiles, plus four six-tube launchers for radio frequency, infrared, and underwater acoustic decoys.[
Communications equipment includes HF, VHF, and UHF radios, ]Link 11
TADIL-A/Link 11 is a secure half-duplex tactical data link used by NATO to exchange digital data. It was originally developed by a joint committee including members from the Canadian Navy, US Navy and Royal Navy to pass accurate targeting inform ...
and Link 16
Link 16 is a military tactical data link network used by NATO and nations allowed by the MIDS International Program Office (IPO). Its specification is part of the family of Tactical Data Links.
With Link 16, military aircraft as well as ship ...
tactical data exchange uplinks, ASTIS MCE (Advanced SATCOM Terrestrial Infrastructure System Maritime Communications Elements) terminals, and Inmarsat equipment.[
]
Control system
The control system for this class is provided by Navantia
Navantia is a Spanish state-owned shipbuilding company, which offers its services to both military and civil sectors. It is the fifth-largest shipbuilder in Europe and the ninth-largest in the world with shipyards around the globe. The heir to t ...
and is a version of th
Integrated Platform Management System
(IPMS) designed specifically for the Hobart Class Destroyers. The implementation of Navantia's IPMS uses COMPLEX / SIMPLEX, a framework developed by Navantia for new ship builds and all future modernisations.[Navantia Australi]
"Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS)"
/ref> This system allows for the automation, control, and supervision of all the equipment that is installed on the ship with the exception of the combat system.
Currently within the Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
(RAN), the IPMS is installed on the ''Canberra''-class landing helicopter docks, ''Hobart''-class guided missile destroyers, and the ''Supply''-class replenishment oiler platforms, as well as on-board more than 60 ships across multiple navies.
Construction
Each ship is assembled from 31 pre-fabricated modules or 'blocks', averaging in weight and in size.[Grevatt, ''AWD Alliance admits destroyer contract hit by construction 'difficulties''] The nine blocks making up the forward superstructure of each destroyer, containing the most sensitive or classified equipment, are manufactured by ASC's shipyard at Osborne, South Australia
Osborne is a suburb in the Australian state of South Australia located on the LeFevre Peninsula in the west of Adelaide about north-west of the Adelaide city centre.
Description
Osborne is bounded to the south by the suburb of Taperoo, to ...
, where the final assembly of each destroyer will occur.[ The other 22 blocks for each ship were subcontracted out.][ On 9 May 2009, two companies were selected to fabricate the additional blocks: ]NQEA Australia
NQEA Pty Ltd is an engineering and shipbuilding company based in Cairns, Australia. The company was founded in 1948 as an engineering supply company named North Queensland Engineers & Agents, then expanded in 1966 into shipbuilding and was rena ...
(building the twelve blocks of each ship's hull) and Forgacs Group
Forgacs Marine and Defence (Forgacs), former Forgacs Group, is a major Australian engineering and shipbuilding company. It has facilities at Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane and Gladstone. The company employs 1000 people.
The Forgacs Group acquired ...
(building the ten aft superstructure blocks per ship).[Grevatt, ''NQEA loses block-building deal for Australian destroyers''] However, during June, NQEA advised the AWD Alliance that the shipbuilder was undergoing restructuring
Restructuring is the corporate management term for the act of reorganizing the legal, ownership, operational, or other structures of a company for the purpose of making it more profitable, or better organized for its present needs. Other reasons ...
and may have difficulty in meeting its contracted obligations.[ The Department of Defence went into negotiations with NQEA and ]BAE Systems Australia
BAE Systems Australia, a subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, is one of the largest defence contractors in Australia. It was formed by the merger of British Aerospace Australia and GEC-Marconi Systems and expanded by the acquisitions of Armor Holdings ...
(which had been shortlisted during the initial subcontractor selection process), and at the end of June, transferred all of NQEA's work to BAE.[
]
In October 2010, the central keel block manufactured by BAE for ''Hobart'' was found to be distorted and incompatible with other hull sections.[Stewart, ''$8bn navy flagship founders after construction bungle''] The cause of the fabrication errors is unknown: BAE blamed incorrect drawings
Drawing is a form of Visual arts, visual art in which an artist uses instruments to mark paper or other two-dimensional surface. Drawing instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, various kinds of paints, inked brushes, colored pencils, ...
from designer Navantia, while the AWD Alliance claimed the other two shipyards have not experienced similar problems, when in fact they had,[ and suggested first-of-kind manufacturing errors were made by BAE.][Stewart, ''BAE shipyard to blame for destroyer delays: Defence''] However, a report in 2014, by the Australian National Audit Office
The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) is the supreme audit institution of Australia, functioning as the national auditor for the Parliament of Australia and Government of Australia. It reports directly to the Australian Parliament via the ...
(ANAO) confirmed that 'errors resulting from a sub-standard technology transfer procedure (passing on specific techniques relative to the design) & drawings that were not localised by designer Navantia' were to blame. The delay in reworking the keel block was predicted to set construction back by at least six months.[ Other major issues during ''Hobart''s construction included the need to replace 25% of the internal pipework due to faulty manufacture, and the initial rejection of the ship's mainmast block because of defects in the cabling and combat system equipment.][McPhedran, ''Navy warships project heading for cost blowout''][Greene, ''Companies building multi-billion-dollar warships feared defects would damage their reputations, leaked documents show''] ''Brisbane''s construction has been marred by numerous defects requiring rework.[
]
In late May 2011, the government announced that the delay in building ''Hobart'' had increased to between one and two years, and would attempt to reduce the workload on BAE (which is also responsible for superstructure work on the ''Canberra''-class amphibious ships) by redistributing up to 13 of the 24 hull blocks the company was slated to build for the first two ships to the other two shipyards.[Stewart, ''Overdue and over budget''][Royal Australian Navy, ''Changes to Air Warfare Destroyer Construction Program''] In addition, the three blocks containing each destroyer's hull-mounted sonar are being assembled by Navantia in Spain and the United Kingdom, with the possibility another two hull blocks could be assigned to the Spanish shipyard.[ An additional nine-month delay was announced in September 2012; this was intended to create a better transition of labour from the destroyers to following shipbuilding projects ( replacements for the ''Collins''-class submarines and the ''Anzac''-class frigates), and achieve some savings in the federal budget.][Thornhill, ''Force 2030'', p. 11][Cullen, ''Work on $8bn destroyer fleet delayed'']
A March 2014 report by the ANAO heavily criticised the DMO and the AWD Alliance for underestimating the risks in redesigning the ships for Australian operations, and building them in shipyards with no recent warship construction experience. The ANAO report also criticised designer Navantia and the shipyards involved in block construction over poor drawings, repeated errors, and bad building practices.[ As a result of further delays and growing costs, the ''Hobart''-class destroyer project was added to the government's "Projects of Concern" list in June 2014. Follow-up government reports identified unrealistic time and cost estimates as additional factors.][ The overarching alliance concept has been repeatedly denounced, with no effective management structure or entity in charge, (allowing for repeated blame-passing between the individual alliance partners, Navantia, and the subcontracted shipyards), and the DMO locked in a contradictory role (simultaneously acting as supplier, build partner, and customer).][
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''Hobart''s keel was laid down on 6 September 2012, and the ship was launched on 23 May 2015, with 76% of construction complete.[Starick, ''First look aboard Adelaide-built air warfare destroyer, the Hobart''] ''Brisbane'' was laid down on 3 February 2014, and by October 2015 was 68% complete.[Naval-technology.com, ''HMAS Hobart construction costs overrun by $870m, says AWD Alliance''] ''Sydney'' was laid down on 19 November 2015 (two weeks after the ''Adelaide''-class frigate of the name was decommissioned, and on the anniversary of the loss of the second ''Sydney'' during World War II), with block fabrication due to complete in early 2016.
Originally, the ''Hobart''-class destroyers were to be operational between December 2014 and June 2017.[ In September 2012, the ongoing delays prompted revision of the entry-to-service dates to March 2016, September 2017, and March 2019.][ In May 2015, the DMO announced additional schedule slippage, with ''Hobart'' to be handed over to the RAN in June 2017, ''Brisbane'' due in September 2018, and ''Sydney'' by December 2019.][McPhedran, ''Destroyer project now three years behind schedule''] The original contract cost was about A$7.9 billion for the three ships. By March 2014, the project was running A$302 million over budget.[ By May 2015, this had increased to A$800 million, with a predicted minimum cost overrun by project end of A$1.2 billion.][Sheridan, ''Warships cost blows out to $9bn''][
In February 2018, the ''Hobart''-class was removed from the "Projects of Concern" list, after long-term reform arrangements were put in place. In May 2018, the third and final ''Hobart''-class ship, ''Sydney'', was launched.
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Upgrades
It has been announced that the three ships of the class will be upgraded at the cost of AU$5.1 billion. This includes the upgrade of the Aegis Weapon System to Baseline 9 or 10, the possible replacement of the current AN/SPY-1D(V) radar with a more powerful radar and the integration of new missiles, namely the SM-6
The RIM-174 Standard Extended Range Active Missile (ERAM), or Standard Missile 6 (SM-6), is a missile in current production for the United States Navy. It was designed for extended-range anti-air warfare (ER-AAW) purposes, providing capability ...
surface to air missile
A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...
, Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missile, and the Naval Strike Missile
The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is an anti-ship and land-attack missile developed by the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA).
The original Norwegian name was Nytt sjømålsmissil (literally ''New sea target missile'', indicatin ...
.
Ships
See also
* Aegis Combat System
The Aegis Combat System is an American integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and it is now produced by Lockheed Martin.
Initially used by the United States Navy, Aegis is now used also by t ...
* List of naval ship classes in service
The list of naval ship classes in service includes all combatant surface classes in service currently with navies or armed forces and auxiliaries in the world. Ships are grouped by type, and listed alphabetically within.
For other vessels, see ...
* List of active Royal Australian Navy ships
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) fleet is made up of 38 commissioned warships and 6 non-commissioned .
The main strength is the eight frigates and three destroyers of the surface combatant force: eight ''Anzac'' class frigates and three ''Hoba ...
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External links
Royal Australian Navy DDG
Defence Materiel Organisation – SEA 4000 Air Warfare Destroyer
Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hobart Class Destroyer
Destroyer classes