Sydney set to sail

UNDOCKED: HMAS Sydney will soon be back in action after four months of defect rectification and maintenance as part of the FFG upgrade. She is the first of four FFGs to undergo the upgrade which will see their capability and performance enhanced.

y Michael Brooke

Cheered on by a large crowd of sailors and ADI technicians, HMAS Sydney undocked from Captain Cook Graving Dock last month, ready to set sail. Sydney has spent the last four months conducting defect rectification and maintenance.

She spent December 2004 to March 2005 in initial FFG upgrade FFGUP) sea trials, prior to entering dock to conduct repairs as part of the FFG upgrade quality assurance process.

After completing the repairs, along with a concurrent intermediate maintenance availability package, Sydney is now preparing for an at-sea Mariner Skills Evaluation scheduled to take place at the end of September, with FFGUP trials continuing from October 2005.

Commanding Officer of HMAS Sydney, CMDR Peter Quinn, said it expected that the trials will continue into the first half of 2006 with work up and operational evaluation of the new FFGUP capability continuing after provisional acceptance. Sydney is the first of four FFGs to undergo the AUD$1.5 billion upgrade.

The upgrade of the FFG ships incorporates modern technology to enhance capability and performance while maintaining the crew at 210 personnel.

CMDR Quinn said “On completion of the upgrade, Sydney will be the most capable multipurpose frigate in the RAN.” “Very importantly, Sydney and her sister ships will continue to provide the backbone of the Area Air Warfare capability of the Fleet until the introduction of the Air Warfare Destroyers in the next decade.”

CMDR Quinn said “Sydney’s crew are currently focussed on returning to sea and getting the much improved FFG capability accepted into service as soon as possible.” Key Elements of the FFG Upgrade conducted by ADI at FBE include:

• New Command and Control system, providing more effective integration of new and existing sensors and weapons;
• New Mk 41 Vertical Launch System, which will enable her to embark up to 32 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles;
• Updated long-range surveillance, target indication and automatic detect and track functions, increasing low radar cross section performance and detection range;
• New high capability Link16 Datalink;
• Improved Mk 92 Mod 12 fire control system to provide greater lethality against sea-skimming missiles in high clutter conditions;
• A new hull mounted sonar and the addition of a passive torpedo detection system with a towed array and torpedo decoys.
  
  These sensors will form a multi-layered system for the detection, classification and decoy of torpedoes;
• A new onboard training system that allows the whole combat system team to conduct highly realistic warfare training alongside, or at sea, without the use of expensive external assets; and
• The long range SM2 air warfare missile will replace the SM1 at a later stage of the project..

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