Sailors cheer AWD milestone
28 April 2010
Sailors hoping to commission one of three Hobart-class Air Warfare Destroyers (AWD’s), have cheered a new major milestone in the $8 billion project.
The sailors applauded the beginning of the block production of the three Aegis-equipped AWD’s in the exciting countdown to them being commissioned into service beginning in 2014.
The three AWD’s, to be named HMA Ships Hobart, Sydney and Brisbane, will significantly improve the firepower of the Fleet, while providing vital protection for the Canberra Class Landing Helicopter Dock amphibious ships, to be delivered from 2012.
Sailors serving in HMAS Sydney (IV) said the AWD milestone bodes well for the sailors hoping to serve in the next RAN warship to carry the name ‘Sydney’.
Sydney’s CSO Supervisor, POET Lorne Bramely, said the AWD milestone serves as a timely reminder of the new challenges for sailors who will operate the Aegis combat system, especially the SPY-1 Delta radar.
“From the perspective of an Electronics Technician, the Aegis combat system with the SPY-1 Delta radar is the pinnacle of ship fighting capability, which represents a quantum leap for the Navy and also the sailors who will operate these systems,” he said.
POET Bramely said it is in his new five year plan to commission Sydney (V), when she comes on line in the near future.
LSCSO Aaron Larnach said he is excited about the capability of the future Fleet and wants to commission one of the AWDs, preferably HMAS Sydney.
“Aegis is state-of-the-art equipment which will really challenge the operators, while delivering vastly enhanced war-fighting capabilities,” he said.
ABET Aaron Kippax, one of Sydney’s Mk 92 operators and maintainers, said he has just signed ‘open ended’ contact with the Navy with the goal of commissioning one of the AWD’s, either Sydney, or Brisbane.
“I love serving in this Sydney, so I’d love to commission either Sydney V, or Brisbane, which is my hometown,” he said.
Greg Combet, Minister for Defence Materiel and Science, recently hailed the beginning of the full production of the AWD’s at three shipyards across Australia as a major milestone.
Minister Combet said each AWD ship will be built in a series of 31 modules, each weighing about 200 tonnes.
"The AWD Alliance will fabricate 31 blocks for each ship at three shipyards; 9 blocks at ASC in Adelaide, 12 blocks at BAE Systems in Melbourne and 10 blocks at Forgacs in Newcastle.
Minister Combet said in 12 months the completed blocks will be shipped to Adelaide for consolidation into the complete warship. He also announced that the AWD Alliance had the electronic warfare system for the Hobart Class AWD’s.
“This system will allow the AWD to gain increased awareness of land, air and seaborne threats, giving the AWD’s a capability edge,” Minister Combet said.
COMAUSFLT, RADM Steve Gilmore, AM, DSC, also welcomed the project milestone, saying the “three AWD’s would significantly improve the firepower of the Fleet. The SEA4000 Program is one of two important projects aimed at delivering the Future Fleet.”
RADM Gilmore also said, ”the Aegis-equipped AWD’s will provide vital protection for the LHD amphibious ships to be delivered under Joint Project 2048 from 2012. The new AWD’s will exploit the advantages of new technologies to achieve savings in manpower and operating costs, and deliver enhanced capability.
“The AWD’s will be able to operate offensively in a high density, multi-threat environment in the oceans of the world, or in the littoral areas and conduct sustained combat operations in support of joint battle groups and amphibious assault groups, as an integral part of a modern naval force.”
