Hobart class destroyer
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The Hobart class of destroyers is a class of three ships which are planned to enter service with the Royal Australian Navy from 2013. Referred to during design as the Australian Air Warfare Destroyer, the design of the Hobart class is yet to be finalised, the ships will feature the Aegis combat system and other sophisticated weapons and electronic systems.
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[edit] Overview
Under the Sea 4000 project, the Royal Australian Navy plans to acquire three Air Warfare Destroyers, for introduction into service from 2013. These ships will replace the Navy's Adelaide class frigates and perform the same area air defence role as the withdrawn Perth class destroyers; the Chief of the Navy described their key capability as providing "a protective ‘bubble’ over whatever area they’re working in" [1], in which any hostile aircraft or missiles will be detected and shot down by the ship's combat systems. The consortium responsible describes the ships as capable of engaging enemy aircraft "at a range of over 150 kilometres"[2]. The ships will be supplemented by the remaining ANZAC class frigates.
In August 2005 the Australian Government announced that Gibbs & Cox was the 'preferred designer' of the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD). While the evolved development of the AWD will be focused on a variant of Gibbs & Cox's Arleigh Burke class destroyer, the Australian Government has not yet ordered any ships and the Spanish F100 design remains the official alternative to the Burke.
In May 2006 the AWD program went to a DMO kinnard selection process. The two competing solutions are the Spanish Navantia F100 design (as the Off The Shelf Design) designated as the existing design and the evolved design which is a variant of Gibbs & Cox's Arleigh Burke class destroyer. The final design of the Air Warfare Destroyer will be selected in mid 2007. Media reports in March 2007 indicated that the F100 bid was "ahead on price, risk and scheduled delivery when compared with the evolved design offered by Gibbs & Cox"[1] though the head of the RAN, Vice Admiral Russ Shalders, stated that he believed that the Arleigh Burke design would provide the RAN with greater capability in the long-run.[2]
The Air Warfare Destroyers will feature the Aegis combat system. Combat system integration will be performed by Raytheon and the ships will be built by Australian Submarine Corporation (ASC) Shipbuilding, at Osborne, South Australia. The first AWD is scheduled to be delivered in October 2013 with the second ship to be delivered in 2015 and the third in 2017.
The project cost is estimated at "at least" $6 billion, according to press reports [3], though reports were vague as to exactly what items are included in the figure.
The Australian Minister for Defence announced on 20 January 2006 that the Air Warfare Destroyers will be named Hobart, Brisbane and Sydney. It was proposed in the October-December issue of the Navy League of Australia's magazine 'The Navy' that a fourth AWD named Melbourne IV be purchased to improve the RAN's capabilities and keep Australian dockyards and naval engineers employed.[3]
 An Arleigh Burke class destroyer (front) with a F100 class frigate (rear) |
[edit] Indicative specifications
These specifications were provided in the presentations given by the Defence Material Organisation during the AWD Industry Roadshow in late 2005. As the design of the AWD is yet to be finalised the following figures should be treated with some caution.
[edit] Ship
Based on details of similar vessels, it can be estimated that the AWD will displace between 5,000-7,000 tons (likely to be towards the lower end of this range), with a crew complement of approximately 180. There will be additional space for up to 40 trainees, and for any combat troops embarked. Maximum speed will be in the 28-30 knot range, with endurance estimated at 5,000-6,000nm at 18 knots.
[edit] Armament
This will most likely be similar to current Aegis vessels in service and under construction. There will be a Vertical Launch System (probably US Mark 41), possibly of up to 68 cells, which will be capable of firing SM-2 surface-to-air missiles, Evolved Sea Sparrow point defence missiles and Tomahawk surface-to-surface missiles (though it is unlikely that they will be fitted with the capability to support Tomahawk). The Mark 41 VLS is currently fitted to the Anzac class and is being installed in the Adelaide class. In addition, it is likely that the ships will be fitted with the Harpoon anti-ship missile using its standard box launcher. As with all modern warships, a medium calibre gun (probably 5 inch) will be fitted; there is no confirmation yet as to any additional gun armament, in the form of either a CIWS or other anti-aircraft armament. However, given that most ships of similar type have at least one CIWS emplacement fitted, it can be presumed that these ships will also. The ships will also be future proofed, in that they will have space available for new weapons developments that may come about in the future. There will be a flight deck and hangar capable of operating both helicopters and UAVs, while there will also be sufficient space for detachments of combat troops and special forces. In November 2006 the Australian Government commissioned research on whether the AWDs should be equipped with anti-ballistic missile capabilities.[4]
[edit] Sensors and combat systems
Although described as an air warfare destroyer, with air defence as its primary role, the Aegis combat system is a multi-role system capable of engaging air, surface and undersea targets. As a consequence, the AWD is much more of a multi-role vessel than its Perth class predecessor. In addition to Aegis, it will have underwater sensors, which may include mine and obstacle avoidance sonar. Because of the capabilities provided, AWD will have the ability to serve as a Task Group flagship.
[edit] Comparative statistics
An article in the February 2007 edition of Australian Defence Magazine provided the following statistics.[4]
| F100 | Evolved Burke class | |
| Length | 146.7m | 148m |
| Beam | 18.6m | 21.3m |
| Displacement (tons) | 5,800 | 8,100 |
| Maximum speed | Approx 29 kn | Approx 29 kn |
| Range (nm) | 4,800nm @ 18 kn | 5,500nm @ 18 kn |
| Crew | 220 | 180 |
| Primary combat system | Aegis | Aegis |
| Vertical launch cells | 48 | 64 |
| Fire control channels | 2 | 3 |
| Harpoon missiles | 8 | 8 |
| Torpedoes | 6 | 6 |
| Medium gun | 1 x 127mm automatic | 1 x 127mm automatic |
| Close in weapons | 1 | 2 |
| Helicopters | 1 x Seahawk | 2 x Seahawk/NH-90 |
[edit] See also
[edit] Other AEGIS type ships
[edit] DDG-51 Derivatives
[edit] F-100 Derivatives
[edit] Other similar ships
| Hobart class destroyer |
| Hobart | Brisbane | Sydney |
List of major warship classes of the Royal Australian Navy |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Walters, Patrick. "ADF sizes up august armada", The Australian, 2007-03-10. Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
- ^ Walters, Patrick. "Navy wants upgrade capacity for destroyers", The Australian, 2007-03-13. Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
- ^ Thornbill, Roger (October-December 2006), "The Case for the Fourth Air Warfare Destroyer", The Navy 68 (4): 9-14
- ^ Shackleton, David (February 2007), "Choices and consequences - choosing the AWD design", Australian Defence Magazine: 20-24
