NUSHIP Sydney Australia’s ‘most advanced warship to date’
Australia’s most “advanced warship to date” has been delivered to the Australian Navy, completing the Australian Defence Force’s $9bn Air Warfare Destroyer program.
NUSHIP Sydney is the final ship of three Hobart class guided missile destroyers which Defence has said are part of the largest regeneration of the Royal Australian Navy since the Second World War.
Each ship is operated by a 186-man crew, powered by a combination of gas and diesel turbines with a twin propeller engine. The new ships can sail at a top speed of 28 knots, with a range of more than 9000 kilometres.
Defensive capabilities see the ships equipped with a harpoon missile system as well as missile decoy technology.
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds picked up the keys to the new warship during a ceremony at Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia on Friday.
“The Air Warfare Destroyer program is officially complete with NUSHIP Sydney delivered to Defence,” Ms Reynolds said.
The ship completed sea trials late in 2019 and is expected to be in service from May 2020.
The new fleet includes more than 400 compartments set across seven levels and five decks, including one flight deck and hangar for a single helicopter.
Each has enough paint to cover the Sydney Harbour Bridge twice, enough electrical cable to cross Bass Strait, steel equivalent to the weight of 450 elephants, and the engine power of 200 family sedans.
NUSHIP Sydney is led by Commanding Officer Edward Seymour, who took over the role in December 2018.
NUSHIP Sydney is expected to soon sail to Garden Island to join sister ships HMAS Hobart and HMAS Brisbane.
(The Australian)