Projects
SEA 4000 Air Warfare Destroyer
Welcome
The Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Program will deliver an affordable, effective, flexible and sustainable Air Warfare Destroyer capability for the security of Australia.
The 2000 Defence White Paper stated the Australian Defence Force would replace the Navy’s FFGs with a class of at least three air defence capable ships, the new Air Warfare Destroyers.
The Air Warfare Destroyer Program will provide the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) with one of the world’s most capable all purpose warships. In selecting the F100 as the baseline platform design and coupling it with the Aegis combat system , the Australian Government has ensured tomorrow’s Navy has the best equipment to defend Australia and its national interests.
These Hobart Class AWDs will provide air defence for accompanying ships in addition to land forces and infrastructure in coastal areas, and for self-protection against missiles and aircraft. The Aegis Combat System incorporating the state-of-the-art phased array radar, AN/ SPY 1D(V), in combination with the SM-2 missile, will provide an advanced air defence system capable of engaging enemy aircraft and missiles at ranges in excess of 150km.
The AWDs will carry a helicopter for surveillance and response to support key warfare areas. The surface warfare function will include long range anti-ship missiles and a naval gun capable of firing extended range munitions in support of land forces.
The Hobart Class will also conduct Undersea Warfare and be equipped with modern sonar systems, decoys, surface-launched torpedoes and an array of effective close-in defensive weapons.
These capabilities ensure the AWDs have the layered defensive and offensive capability required to counter conventional and asymmetric threats.
Opportunities for Australian Industry and Supplier Registration
The AWD Program is one of the largest and most complex Defence projects ever undertaken in Australia. A key objective of this nation building project is to ensure that the benefits to industry are maximised to enhance Australia’s strategic industrial base.
All ships will be consolidated at ASC’s shipyard at Osborne near Adelaide, and major hull blocks will be constructed in other shipyards and facilities around Australia. It is expected that a large number of the machinery modules will also be distributed to manufacturers across the country.
The systems engineering of the Hobart Class Combat System will be led within the Alliance by Raytheon Australia. There will be key opportunities for Australian Industry to design and construct various sub-systems and equipment for the Australianised combat system.
The Alliance website contains up to date information on industry opportunities and interested companies may register their capabilities at: www.ausawd.com
The AWD Alliance
An alliance based contracting strategy has been employed by the AWD Program for the Build Phase of the project. The Air Warfare Destroyer Program’s adoption and management of the Alliance strategy is widely recognised as an international benchmark for major Defence acquisitions.
In April 2005, the Australian Government selected Raytheon Australia Pty Ltd (Raytheon) as the Combat System Systems Engineer, and in May 2005 selected ASC AWD Shipbuilder Pty Ltd (ASC) as the Shipbuilder.
The DMO, ASC and Raytheon Australia work together as the AWD Alliance to deliver the Hobart Class to the Royal Australian Navy.
The Alliance Based Target Incentive Agreement (ABTIA) is the contractual instrument governing the Alliance and was signed on 4 October 2007.
The philosophy behind the Alliance strategy is to integrate Defence and Industry to ensure the best-for-program outcomes based upon a pain share-gain share contracting strategy.
Navantia, responsible for the platform system design, is contracted to the Commonwealth and works seamlessly with the Alliance participants in achieving program objectives. The Platform System Design contract was also signed on 4 October 2007.
Australia’s Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyers
In January 2006 the Government announced that the AWDs would be named HMAS Hobart, HMAS Brisbane and HMAS Sydney ensuring the three ships reflect a rich history of service.
The Hobart Class will be capable across the full spectrum of joint maritime operations, from area air defence and escort duties, right through to peacetime national tasking and diplomatic missions. The Royal Australian Navy will undergo a quantum leap in its air warfare capability when the Hobart Class enters service.
Since entering service with the Spanish Armada, the F100 surface combatants have worked with US forces in the Persian Gulf as the first foreign Aegis-equipped ship to be fully integrated into a US Navy Carrier Strike Group and F100s have successfully been deployed as the flagship of NATO’s Maritime Group Standing Reaction Force.
The Hobart Class AWDs will be equipped with an Australianised Aegis combat system to ensure they possess the most up to date combat technologies available. These technologies ensure the Hobart Class meets the specific and demanding capability requirements of the Royal Australian Navy.
The Hobart Class combat system, with the Aegis system as the core is amongst the most advanced maritime air warfare capabilities available and ensures the Navy has unprecedented levels of interoperability with Australia’s coalition partners and allies. When the AWDs enter service in the middle of the next decade, there will be around 100 Aegis equipped ships operating across the globe giving the Navy access to the updates offered by the US and other in-service navies.
The AWD Program has four phases:
Phase 1 - Project Definition.
The key outcomes during Phase 1 were the development of detailed operational requirements specifications; whole-of-ship, costed concept designs; the definition of the combat system architecture, and the selection of alliance industry participants.
Phase 2 - Design.
During Phase 2 the AWD Program developed Acquisition Business Cases for Government consideration at Second Pass for the Evolved and Existing Design capability options. A key outcome of Phase 2 was the selection of the Navantia F100 platform design as the baseline for Australia's future Hobart Class AWD. Phase 2 completed when the Phase 3 contracts were signed on 4 October 2007.
Phase 3 - Build.
The key outcomes of Phase 3 will be the finalisation of detailed design work, delivery to Navy of the lead and at least two follow-on ships and the associated support systems. The support systems include crew training, shore facilities development, maintenance schemes and spare parts inventories.
Phase 4 - Naval Operational Test and Evaluation.
Phase 4 includes the Initial Operational Release of all three ships followed by operational test and evaluation of the ships and associated systems. The principle objective of Phase 4 is the acceptance of the ships and shore facilities into naval service.
Contact
Air Warfare Destroyer Program Office
Russell Offices (R2-3-C Zone)
Canberra ACT 2600
Fax: +61 2 6265 6014
Or visit www.ausawd.com
