30 June 2020

Australia carries out in-country upgrades, maintenance of Aegis systems on Hobart class

by Ridzwan Rahmat

The RAN commissioned its first Hobart-class guided missile destroyer in 2017. The ship’s Aegis combat system has since been upgraded by Lockheed Martin. (Commonwealth of Australia)

Lockheed Martin Australia has carried out a range of in-country upgrades and ‘deep maintenance’ works on Aegis combat systems installed on two of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN’s) Hobart-class air warfare destroyers (AWDs).

The works, which were carried out between May and June 2020, involved various components of the system on HMAS Hobart and HMAS Brisbane, including the ships’ SPY-1D(V) radar and Aegis computer program, said Lockheed Martin Australia in a statement on 30 June.

It marks the first time that the Lockheed Martin has planned and executed an upgrade to Aegis-equipped ships outside the US, said the company. “This period has demonstrated Australian sovereign sustainment of the Aegis weapon system in the absence of planned US onsite support due to Covid-19 restrictions”, it added.

Lockheed Martin Australia also worked with the RAN’s Fleet Support Unit, ship’s crew, and local and international government and industry partners for the upgrades.

The RAN operates a fleet of three Hobart-class AWDs, the last of which was commissioned in May 2020. The warship is derived from Navantia’s F-100 Alvaro de Bazan-class frigate design.

Besides the SPY-1D(V) phased-array radar, the vessel is also equipped with the Northrop Grumman AN/SPQ-9B surface search radar, and 48-cell MK 41 vertical launch system (VLS) that can fire Standard Missile-2 medium-range Block IIIA (SM-2MR Block IIIA), and SM-2MR Block IIIB long-range surface-to-air missiles at hostile aerial threats.

The RAN commissioned its first Hobart-class guided missile destroyer in 2017. The ship’s Aegis com...

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