Sea Sparrows find a new nest

HMAS Sydney showing the Evolved Sea Sparrow launching pit in her foredeck.

Photo: ADI Ltd image

Any “bogey” putting HMAS Sydney (CMDR Peter Quinn) under threat could well see the hatches on eight silos on her foredeck open and the first of up to 32 Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles roar upwards in their direction.

The silos, pictured right, are just one of the important enhancements of the $200 million upgrade to the 4,200 tonne FFG.

The basic construction work was carried out between September 2003 and March 2004 when the warship was in the Captain Cook Graving Dock, Sydney.

Sydney is the first of four Royal Australian Navy guided missile frigates to be upgraded.

The upgrade is not only a complex integration task that will see the FFG combat systems upgraded to ensure the ships’ operational effectiveness against regional threats, but the intrusive nature of the platform work means ADI is effectively rebuilding significant parts of the ships to incorporate the enhancements.

The upgrade represents the first time in Australia that a naval prime contractor has undertaken the roles of both platform and combat system design in-house to ensure proper integration at the whole-ofship level.

The dry docking saw the installation of four new diesel generators, the vertical launch system housing (including rip out and reinforcement through four decks) and air conditioning plant. Also installed was combat system equipment including new mine avoidance sonar, electronic support and all upgraded fire control system hardware.

ADI built a 3D model of the forward part of the ship enabling any potential system interferences to be designed out. ADI’s approach to the removal and replacement of the diesel generators is believed to be a world first for FFGs.

After completing trade off studies of various options, it was decided to remove each generator, bed plate and hull structure as a single unit, avoiding the disassembly of equipment onboard and the extensive removal of internal systems.

Three generator units were removed through openings in the side plating and the fourth by cutting out the bottom hull plating and lowering it to the dock floor.

Reinstallation followed the reverse process. ADI managing director, Mr Lucio Di Bartolomeo, said the successfully completed rip out and installation phase underlined ADI’s unmatched naval engineering capabilities.

The land-based test site ADI established at Garden Island for the FFG upgrade enabled combat system software integration testing to begin in advance of HMAS Sydney being handed over to the company.

Further formal combat system development and stress testing of system software will be undertaken ashore this month.

The software is scheduled for formal release to HMAS Sydney in July for harbour testing.

Sea trials will follow the harbour tests with the frigate due for delivery to the RAN in the final quarter of this year.

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