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| Hobart foreground & Brisbane background left (click Image to Enlarge) |
The AWD Alliance continues to work towards the delivery of three Hobart class AWDs, with the project currently focused on achieving two major milestones: the commencement of sea trials for Ship 1, Hobart, in September and the launch of Ship 2, Brisbane, in December 2016.
Ship Milestones
Ship 1
- Hobart is 96% complete (whole of ship as at July 2016), and is on track to commence Builder Sea Trials in September this year.
- Numerous alongside dock trials in preparation for Hobart’s first departure to sea are currently underway including Incline trials to measure the ship’s stability and vertical centre of gravity, Main Battery Alignment to ensure elements of the combat systems are correctly positioned and aligned, and Bollard trials to test the ship’s propulsion system.
- Prior to these trials, Hobart’s Main Engines and Gas Turbines were activated on-board in April and July respectively as well as a number of key combat systems including the Vertical Launch System, the Australian Tactical Interface, the Aegis Combat System and the SPY1D-V Phased Array Radar, plus various navigation and communication systems.
Ship 2
- Brisbane is 82% complete (whole of ship as at July 2016), and is preparing for launch in December this year.
- Over the past two months, load out of combat spaces such as Command Information Centre, Combat System Equipment Rooms, Direct Support Element Operations, and Communication spaces has occurred in addition to the successful installation of the last of the ship’s four AN/SPY-1D(V) Phased Array Radars, bringing the load out of combat system equipment on Brisbane to over 40%.
- Combat System topside equipment load outs as well as prerequisite work including shore power through the ship’s switchboard, commencement of the ship’s Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) and underwater hull paint are scheduled to occur between now and the ship’s launch in December.
Ship 3
- Sydney is 55% complete (whole of ship as at July 2016).
- All blocks that make up Ship 3, have now been delivered to Techport with consolidation well underway. The main engines and gas turbines have also been loaded into the ship.
Lessons Learnt
- All ships are benefitting from lessons learnt from Ship 1 with significant efficiency gains being measured from the first ship to the second and third ships, for example:
- The Ship 2 team halved the amount of time taken to load-out the final AN/SPY-1D(V) Phased Array Radar. The first SPY Array installation on Ship 1, some 18 month ago, took 12 hours, while the last one was completed in August in less than six.
Combat Systems
- The AWD Alliance Combat System team has completed approximately 85% of their scope. 90% of the combat system interfaces are now integrated.
- August marked the successful completion of the Integrated Sonar System operational sonar software factory acceptance test.
- In early September the AWD Combat System Team successfully completed the Combat System CAT 4 Test Readiness Review (TRR), clearing the way to proceed with progressive CAT 4 testing over the next 3 months.
General News
- AWD program has successfully implemented a re-baselined cost and schedule as part of the Commonwealth’s long term arrangements for AWD reform.
- Work on the Techport wharf extension commenced in August and will continue through to November to enable two AWD’s to berth alongside following the float off of Brisbane later this year.
- In August, AWD Alliance training staff hosted the Australian Fleet Commander, Rear Admiral Stuart Mayer, on a tour of the Navy Training Systems Centre at Randwick Barracks - one of the many training facilities that the AWD Alliance has delivered as part of the project to date.