Australia Takes Delivery Of First Aegis-Equipped Air Warfare Destroyer

Australia accepted the delivery of first air warfare destroyer (AWD) ‘Hobart’ in a ceremony today at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide.

Hobart will be Australia’s first ships to be equipped with Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Weapon System.

Christopher Pyne, Australia’s Minister for Defence Industry, said at the delivery ceremony: “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”.

Hobart is the first of three destroyers being built and integrated by the AWD Alliance which comprises the Department of Defence, Raytheon Australia and ASC with support from Navantia. In the coming months, Hobart will transit from Adelaide to Sydney where she will be commissioned into service by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) later this year.

“Hobart will play a critical role for Defence by providing new interoperable capabilities for the Royal Australian Navy.  By using a combination of US and Australian technologies, these ships will allow us to work even closer with our allies,” Pyne noted.

“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,” Pyne added.

The Hobart Class destroyers are being built under Australia’s SEA 4000 program, which will ultimately deliver three advanced multi-mission ships by the end of 2019.

The next Aegis-enabled Ship scheduled for Australia, BRISBANE, is under progress.