HMAS Sydney DDGH 42 Source: https://twitter.com/AWDAlliance/status/997692906415771648
The third and final Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) HMAS Sydney DDGH 42 was launched during a ceremony at Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide on May 19, the Royal Australian Navy reported.
https://twitter.com/AWDAlliance/status/998717816328019968
“Today’s launch of the third and final Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD), Sydney, is a further demonstration of the sovereign shipbuilding industry and combat systems integration capability that has been built by the AWD program over the past decade,” the statement of the AWD Alliance reads.
The keel of HMAS Sydney DDGH 42 was laid down on 19 November, 2015 in Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide.
Its marine hull was framed of 31 blocks. The work was carrying out at three Australian dockyards in Adelaide, Melbourne and Newcastle. Three additional blocks were built in Spain and the UK.
The vessel’s length is 146.7 m, the beam – 18.6 m, the draught – 7.2 m, the displacement – 7,000 tones (full load). The vessel can develop the range of 4,500 nautical miles with the 28 knots top speed. The crew includes 186 people and 16 more of the summer’s staff. It possesses 2 General Electric Marine model 7LM2500-SA-MLG38 gas turbines and 2 Caterpillar Bravo 16 V Bravo diesel engines.
Armament: a Mark 41 vertical launch system, a medium-range surface-to-air missile RIM-66 Standard, an anti-ship missile system Advanced Harpoon, 5-inch/54 caliber (Mk 45) lightweight gun, an advanced a lightweight anti-submarine torpedo of the 3rd generation MU90 Impact, 2 chain-driven autocannon M242 Bushmaster, a close-in weapon system for defense against anti-ship missiles Phalanx CIWS. It also carries a multi-mission maritime helicopter MH-60R Seahawk.
In October 2007, the Australian government signed a contract with the AWD Alliance. HMAS Sydney DDGH 42 is the last one of three Hobart class AWDs built for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
HMAS Hobart DDGH 39 is the lead ship of the class. It was handed over to the Navy in June 2017. The second Hobart-class AWD is HMAS Brisbane DDGH 41 that was floated out on December 15, 2016, but is still under construction on water.
Hobart-class AWDs use a combination technology to provide defense from air, surface and submarine threats.
“They are the first Australian ships equipped with the US Aegis weapon system, which significantly enhances Navy warfighting capability and allows them to work more closely with our allies than ever before”, the report of the Royal Australian Navy reads.
