Australia commissions 3rd and final Hobart-class air warfare destroyer

The HMAS Sydney (V) (DDG 42). Photo c/o RAN.

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has finally commissioned its third and final Hobart-class Air Warfare Destroyer, the HMAS Sydney (DDG 42) during ceremonies held off the coast of New South Wales on 18 May 2020.

The commissioning also marks the end of the Australian government’s Air Warfare Destroyer Program, and marks the success of the Australian Naval Shipbuilding Plan.

Australia’s Chief of Navy, Vice Adm. Michael Noonan led the commissioning ceremonies, with the ship being the fifth to bear the same name. 

The Hobart-class are the RAN’s most capable warships, replacing the Adelaide-class frigates in the air warfare role. The ships are equipped with the Aegis Combat System to enable it to provide air defense to accompanying ships and to nearby land forces and infrastructure, in addition to providing self-defense against missiles and aircraft.

The ship design were based on Spanish shipbuilder Navantia’s F100 air warfare frigate design, are 147.2 meters long, 18.6 meters wide, and displaces at around 7,000 tons. The ships are powered by 2 General Electric LM2500 gas turbines and 2 Caterpillar Bravo diesel engines in Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) configuration, allowing speeds of over 28 knots and a range of over 5,000 nautical miles.

The Hobart-class destroyers are armed with a Mk.45 127mm naval gun, a 20mm Phalanx close-in weapon system, two 25mm guns in Typhoon mounts, two quadruple launchers for Harpoon Block II anti-ship cruise missiles, and a 48-cell Mk. 41 vertical launching system (VLS) for RIM-66 Standard 2 and RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSM).

The ships also have helicopter facilities for a Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk multirole naval helicopter, and VTOL unmanned aerial vehicles.


[1] Australian Department of Defence
[2] Naval News