Ready to go

It was not without pride that the Inspector of the Australian Navy, Vice Admiral Michael Noonan, presented the new destroyers of the Hobart-class are ready for service. The last ship in the series of three, the HMAS Sydney, returned to Australia last month from a lengthy test voyage. The warship, which was built by ASC, passed important tests of its on-board weapon and sensor systems off the west coast of the US and Canada. These included tests with missiles against low-flying and supersonic air targets. As many of the integrated electronic systems are also used by the US Navy, it was possible to draw on the experience of the partner navy. The Australian Navy sees this extensive similarity of systems as a basic prerequisite for particularly close cooperation with the US Navy, including the interchangeability of warships in formations. "Australian destroyers are a major contribution to the Australian-US alliance and will help maintain peace and prosperity in the region for the next thirty years," said Admiral Noonan.

HMAS Brisbane, second ship in the series

The three destroyers of the Hobart-class are a central element of Australia's air defence. The design of the 7,000-tonne displacement ships is based on the F-100 from Navantia. They were built in Australia between 2012 and 2020. The regular crew of the 147-metre-long units includes 186 soldiers, with space for an additional 16 people if an on-board helicopter is embarked. For a unit price of around three billion Australian dollars (1.9 billion euros), the country received down under ultra-modern units equipped with the American Aegis system. As multi-role capable ships, but primarily intended for air defence, they have a Mk 41 vertical launching system with 48 cells, from which SM-2 and Evolved SeaSparrow can be fired. A total of eight Harpoons are used for defence against sea targets. In addition, there is a 127-millimetre Mk 45 cannon and torpedoes to combat submarines. Phalanx missiles can be used against incoming missiles at close range. The hangar offers sufficient space for an MH-60R.

Text: mb; Photos: Royal Australian Navy