Lockheed Martin and the Royal Australian Navy’s First Aegis-equipped Hobart Class Destroyer Completes Sea Trials

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A team of Lockheed Martin engineers and technicians, working with the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Alliance team comprised of the Department of Defence, Raytheon Australia, Navantia and ASC Shipbuilding, recently completed five weeks of Sea Acceptance Trials aboard the future HMAS Hobart, first-of-class of Australia’s three new Aegis-equipped Air Warfare Destroyers.

The primary focus of these trials was to test and verify the ship platform and its ability to support the combat system, including demonstration and test of the Aegis combat system operations across multiple warfare areas in an at-sea environment.

The Aegis combat system at-sea testing was successfully conducted by the Hobart Integrated Test Team (ITT), which includes Lockheed Martin engineers and technicians from Australia and the U.S. supporting the Commonwealth and the AWD Alliance team.  The team is responsible for testing the Aegis combat system to ensure the equipment is properly installed and functional.

“This is yet another significant milestone for the Commonwealth and for the Aegis combat system aboard Australia’s first Hobart Class destroyer, capable of simultaneously defending against advanced air, surface and subsurface threats,” said Jim Sheridan, Lockheed Martin vice president of Naval Combat & Missile Defense Systems. “Having these three destroyers with the Aegis combat system provides Australia with new game changing capabilities to address modern threats.”

The Aegis Weapon System is a centralised, automated, command-and-control weapons control system that was designed as a total combat management system from detection to engagement. The Aegis Weapons System enables multi-mission capability, network centric warfare, cooperative engagement capability and growth to SM-6 and future capabilities.

“Australia is receiving a significant new capability which, as an Australian, I am very proud of contributing towards,” said Paul Waterworth, Aegis engineer, Lockheed Martin Australia. “The team is dedicated to ensuring the successful delivery of Hobart’s Aegis capability to the Royal Australian Navy.”

The Hobart Class destroyers are being built under Australia’s SEA 4000 program, which will ultimately deliver three advanced multi-mission ships by the end of 2019. These destroyers will be Australia’s first ships to be equipped with Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Weapon System, which integrates commercial-off-the-shelf technology and open architecture into the combat system.

Lockheed Martin is the Aegis Combat Systems Integrator and engineering agent for the U.S. Navy Aegis destroyers and cruisers, Australian Air Warfare Destroyers, as well as a range of other international customers for both new construction and modernisations.  Lockheed Martin also provides the combat system engineering, integration and test for the U.S. Navy’s future frigate and Freedom class Littoral Combat Ship programs.

In support of the Commonwealth, Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Navy are committed to the successful delivery of Australia’s Hobart Class Aegis Destroyers.  Lockheed Martin is proud to welcome Australia to a global Aegis fleet — Hobart marks the 107th ship and the sixth Allied nation to benefit from Aegis capabilities — joining Japan, Spain, Norway, the Republic of Korea and the United States.  We look forward to the opportunity to support the Hobart Class as these very capable ships join the Royal Australian Navy’s operational fleet.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 97,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.