A crowd of nearly 6,000 people are gathering at Techport Australia in Adelaide today (Saturday, 23 May 2015) to celebrate a major milestone - the launch of the first destroyer built as part of the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) program.
The AWD workforce and their families will be joined by dignitaries and industry leaders for the launch ceremony which will see the first destroyer Hobart lowered into the water until it floats for the first time, from the Government of South Australia’s Common User Facility ship lift.
AWD Alliance CEO Rod Equid said today’s event is the culmination of the efforts of thousands of Australians and other members of the AWD enterprise, reaching back more than 10 years. The launch ceremony will celebrate the transition of the ship from the hardstand to the water.
“As shipbuilders and systems integrators, we are undertaking one of the most complex projects of its type in Australia’s history,” Mr Equid said. “Our teams take enormous pride in the work we are doing, which is why this launch is such a big day and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a tear in the eyes of many of our workers when Hobart floats for the first time.”
“It is hard to believe that the AWD Shipyard was opened just five years ago following considerable investment by State and Federal Government and ASC. Australia now has a highly skilled and professional naval shipbuilding capability.”
Hobart’s launch is a big step forward in the delivery of three next-generation warships to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Over the coming months, progress will be accelerated as the second destroyer, Brisbane, takes the place of Hobart on the hardstand to undergo final block consolidation, and the keel for the third destroyer, Sydney, is laid.
The AWD Alliance is responsible for delivering three Hobart Class DDG destroyers and their support systems to the Navy. The Alliance is made up of shipbuilder ASC, mission systems integrator Raytheon Australia and the Government’s Defence Materiel Organisation.
AWD Program Manager Peter Croser said: “Hobart has a strong and important lineage with many who have served in the previous HMAS Hobart who take a keen interest in their name-sake ship which now sits in the waters south of Adelaide. They have watched the progress of this ship and some of them will be represented today at the launch. Many members of the RAN future crew are already here working at Osborne contributing expertise for the launch and the next phase of the program. We look forward to setting to work Hobart and proving her capabilities at sea in the coming two-year period, whilst maintaining a focus on the construction of the next two DDGs.”
ASC Shipbuilding CEO Mark Lamarre said the launch of the first destroyer is a momentous occasion when masses of steel, pipe, wire and machinery come to life. It is an emotional and solemn moment for those who build ships and for those that take them to sea.
“The highly skilled workforce at ASC have consolidated and outfitted a ship, they are learning and improving every day contributing to the nation’s shipbuilding capability,” Mr Lamarre said. “The construction of Hobart, and the other ships under construction at our shipyard represent the dedication and determination of all who are involved in this important national program. It is a project of which the whole of Australia should be incredibly proud.”
Raytheon Australia Managing Director Michael Ward congratulated the AWD Alliance on the launch of Hobart.
“As the AWD mission systems integrator it is a source of pride for Raytheon that we have applied our unique engineering and project management skills to delivering a project that is integrated in Australia,” Mr Ward said.
“The AWD’s combat system integration activities represent some of the most advanced engineering accomplishments yet undertaken in such a project in this country and will contribute to making the AWD the most sophisticated warship ever operated by the Royal Australian Navy.
“Adding to our experience and US reachback has been a strong investment in local capabilities in systems architecture, engineering and program management which have all contributed to this launch milestone.
“Not only are we one step closer to the delivery of this vital new capability but we can take pride in the fact that Australia now has a highly skilled workforce able to apply key learnings from this project to future naval shipbuilding activities.”
AWD Alliance (PDF)