The Hobart class is a ship class of three air warfare destroyers (AWDs) built for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Planning for ships to replace the Adelaide-class frigates and restore the capability last exhibited by the Perth-class destroyers began by 2000, initially under acquisition project SEA 1400, which was re-designated SEA 4000. Although the designation "Air Warfare Destroyer" is used to describe ships dedicated to the defence of a naval force (plus assets ashore) from aircraft and missile attack, the destroyers are expected to also operate in anti-surface, anti-submarine, and naval gunfire support roles.
Planning for the Australian Air Warfare Destroyer (as the class was known until 2006) continued through the mid-2000s, with the selection of the Aegis combat system as the intended combat system and ASC Pty Ltd (ASC) as the primary shipbuilder in 2005. In late 2005, the AWD Alliance was formed as a consortium of the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO), ASC, and Raytheon. Between 2005 and 2007, Gibbs & Cox's Evolved Arleigh Burke-class destroyer concept and Navantia's Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate competed for selection as the AWD design. Although the Arleigh Burke design was larger and more capable, the Álvaro de Bazán design was selected in June 2007 as it was an existing design and would be cheaper, quicker, and less risky to build.
Three ships were ordered in October 2007, and were assembled at ASC's facility in Osborne, South Australia, from 31 pre-fabricated modules (or 'blocks'). An option to build a fourth destroyer was included in the original contract but was not exercised. ASC, NQEA, and Forgacs Group were selected in May 2009 to build the blocks, but within two months, NQEA was replaced by BAE Systems Australia. Construction errors and growing delays led the AWD Alliance to redistribute the construction workload in 2011, with some modules to be built by Navantia. Increasing slippage pushed the original planned 2014-2016 commissioning dates out by at least three years, with lead ship to be completed by June 2017, in September 2018, and by March 2020. The AWD Alliance, Navantia, and the involved shipyards were criticised for underestimating risks, costs, and timeframes; faulty drawings and bad building practices leading to repeated manufacturing errors; and blame-passing. The alliance concept was panned for having no clear management structure or entity in charge, and having the DMO simultaneously acting as supplier, build partner, and customer for the ships.
Planning
The 1992 Force Structure Review contained plans to replace the three Perth-class guided-missile destroyers and four of the six Adelaide-class guided-missile frigates with air defence vessels. The initial proposal – to build an additional six Anzac-class frigates configured for wide-area anti-aircraft warfare – did not go ahead as the Anzac design was too small to effectively host all the required equipment and weapons. The frigate upgrade was only intended as a stop-gap (only four ships were upgraded, and all four were due to decommissioning during the mid-2010s), and by 2000, the Australian Defence Force had begun a project to replace the three Perth-class destroyers. The Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate, designed by Navantia, was identified as the official alternative, and both designs began further testing and modification as part of a two-year selection process. The Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Russ Shalders, believed the American design would provide the RAN with a greater long-term capability, as there was greater scope for upgrades and modifications later in the ships' careers. Despite the American destroyer being the preferred option, the conclusion of the selection process in late June 2007 saw Navantia's Álvaro de Bazán design selected: the Spanish ships were considered a less-risky design as, unlike the Evolved Arleigh Burkes (which at this point only existed as an on-paper design), vessels of the Spanish design had been built and were operational. This option was due to expire in October 2008. According to the Navy League, building a fourth destroyer would be relatively cheap (money for design and other 'start-up' costs would have already been spent) and improve RAN capabilities (by offering increased flexibility and redundancy, particularly in the event of a Falklands War-like armed conflict).
The Australian Minister for Defence announced on 20 January 2006 that the Air Warfare Destroyers will be named , , and . The Navy League of Australia suggested several possible names for a possible fourth destroyer; one was to name the ship Melbourne; another involved taking the Adelaide name from the second Canberra-class landing helicopter dock ship, and renaming the larger vessel Australia.
In April 2022, Navantia Australia made an unsolicited bid to build an additional three Hobart-class air warfare destroyers for the Royal Australian Navy due to possible delays to the Hunter-class frigate program.
Design
thumb|266x266px|HMAS Hobart, left, and HMAS Brisbane at ASC Osborne in June 2016.
Each destroyer will have a length overall of , a maximum beam of , and a draught of . The Hobarts have been designed to allow for upgrades and installation of new equipment, with a theoretical maximum displacement of .
The missiles are supplemented by two four-canister launchers for Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and a BAE Systems Mark 45 (Mod 4) 5-inch gun with a 62-calibre barrel.
In November 2006, the Australian Government commissioned research on whether the AWDs should be equipped with anti-ballistic missile capabilities, most likely linked to the United States Department of Defense's Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System.
The Hobarts carry a single MH-60 Romeo version of the Seahawk. Two rigid-hulled inflatable boats are carried.
In 2009, the government announced in the 2009 Defence Whitepaper that the Hobarts would be armed with the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6). In August 2024, HMAS Sydney became the first of the Hobarts to fire a Standard Missile 6.
In 2021, the government announced that the Hobarts would be armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles to enable them to strike land targets at greater distances up to .
In 2022, the government announced that the Hobarts would be armed with the Naval Strike Missile to replace the RGM-84 Harpoon Block II which would more than double the strike range of the Hobarts. In June 2024, HMAS Sydney became the first of the Hobarts to fire a Naval Strike Missile.
In 2024, the government announced that the Hobarts would be armed with the SM-2 Block IIIC missile.
Sensors and systems
thumb|upright|HMAS Hobarts mast and upper superstructure, showing many of the ship's sensors
The Hobarts are built around the Aegis combat system, specifically the Aegis Baseline 7.1 Refresh 2 version.
In addition to the main radar, the Hobarts will be fitted with a Northrop Grumman AN/SPQ-9B X-band pulse Doppler horizon search radar, a Raytheon Mark 99 fire-control system with two continuous wave illuminating radars for missile direction, and two L-3 Communications SAM Electronics X-band navigation radars. The upgrade will cost up to A$5.1 billion. As of August 2024, the Hobarts are yet to receive the Aegis Baseline 9 upgrade. The implementation of Navantia's IPMS uses COMPLEX / SIMPLEX, a framework developed by Navantia for new ship builds and all future modernisations. This system allows for the automation, control, and supervision of all the equipment that is installed on the ship with the exception of the combat system.
Currently within the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the IPMS is installed on the Canberra-class landing helicopter docks, Hobart-class guided missile destroyers, and the Supply-class replenishment oiler platforms, as well as on-board more than 60 ships across multiple navies. The nine blocks making up the forward superstructure of each destroyer, containing the most sensitive or classified equipment, are manufactured by ASC's shipyard at Osborne, South Australia, where the final assembly of each destroyer will occur. However, during June, NQEA advised the AWD Alliance that the shipbuilder was undergoing restructuring and may have difficulty in meeting its contracted obligations. The cause of the fabrication errors is unknown: BAE blamed incorrect drawings from designer Navantia, while the AWD Alliance claimed the other two shipyards have not experienced similar problems, when in fact they had, However, a report in 2014, by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) confirmed that 'errors resulting from a sub-standard technology transfer procedure (passing on specific techniques relative to the design) & drawings that were not localised by designer Navantia' were to blame. The delay in reworking the keel block was predicted to set construction back by at least six months. Brisbanes construction has been marred by numerous defects requiring rework. In addition, the three blocks containing each destroyer's hull-mounted sonar are being assembled by Navantia in Spain and the United Kingdom, with the possibility another two hull blocks could be assigned to the Spanish shipyard.
A March 2014 report by the ANAO heavily criticised the DMO and the AWD Alliance for underestimating the risks in redesigning the ships for Australian operations, and building them in shipyards with no recent warship construction experience. Follow-up government reports identified unrealistic time and cost estimates as additional factors. Brisbane was laid down on 3 February 2014, and by October 2015 was 68% complete. Sydney was laid down on 19 November 2015 (two weeks after the Adelaide-class frigate of the name was decommissioned, and on the anniversary of the loss of the second Sydney during World War II), with block fabrication due to complete in early 2016.
Originally, the Hobart-class destroyers were to be operational between December 2014 and June 2017. The original contract cost was about A$7.9 billion for the three ships. In May 2018, the third and final Hobart-class ship, Sydney, was launched.
Upgrade
The Royal Australian Navy's Hobart-class destroyers are undergoing a comprehensive upgrade under the SEA4000 Phase 6 project, aimed at enhancing their combat capabilities and ensuring interoperability with allied forces. A central component of this upgrade is the transition from the Aegis Baseline 8 to the more advanced Baseline 9 combat system, which introduces improved missile defense, radar tracking, and integrated fire control systems . Lockheed Martin Australia has played a pivotal role in this modernization, completing the Combat System Design Agent contract that integrates the new Aegis architecture into the destroyers' systems.
Navantia Australia, as the original designer of the Hobart-class destroyers, has been appointed the Platform Systems Designer for the SEA4000 Phase 6 upgrade. The company has released the first set of Ship Alterations drawings, which are essential for the physical modifications required to install new systems and equipment on the in-service warships . This work is being carried out in collaboration with Navantia's Technical Partner Network and involves a dedicated team of engineers and designers working to ensure the successful implementation of the upgrades.
Saab Australia is contributing significantly to the combat system upgrades by introducing a new Australian Interface (AI) that integrates with the Aegis Combat System. This interface aims to enhance the Royal Australian Navy's ability to deter, protect, and defend by increasing commonality across the surface fleet, thereby delivering operational, training, and sustainment efficiencies. Saab's involvement is part of a broader collaboration under the Combat Systems Integration – Integrated Project Team (CSI-IPT), which includes BAE Systems Australia and Lockheed Martin Australia, working together to deliver these advanced capabilities.
The Hobart-class upgrade is part of a broader initiative to enhance the Royal Australian Navy's surface combatant fleet in response to evolving regional security challenges. The 2023 Defence Strategic Review emphasized the need for increased firepower and advanced capabilities to address potential threats. The upgraded destroyers will feature enhanced missile systems, including the integration of the Naval Strike Missile and Tomahawk cruise missiles, providing greater offensive capabilities. These enhancements aim to ensure that the Hobart-class destroyers remain a formidable component of Australia's naval defense strategy.
Ships
{|class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#efefef;"
! Name
! Pennant number
! Builder
! Laid down
! Launched
! Commissioned
! Status
|-
|
|DDG 39
|rowspan=3|Navantia, ASC Pty Ltd, Osborne
|6 September 2012
|23 May 2015
|23 September 2017
|Active
|-
|
|DDG 41
|3 February 2014
|15 December 2016
|27 October 2018
|Active
|-
|
|DDG 42
|19 November 2015
|19 May 2018
|18 May 2020
|Active
|}
See also
- List of active Royal Australian Navy ships
- List of destroyer classes in service
Equivalent destroyers of the same era
- Type 055
Citations
References
;Journal articles
;News articles
;Press releases
;Websites
External links
- Royal Australian Navy DDG
- Defence Materiel Organisation – SEA 4000 Air Warfare Destroyer
- Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance