Australian 2nd air warfare destroyer reaches Sydney

Royal Australian Navy’s second Hobart-class air warfare destroyer NUSHIP Brisbane has arrived at her home base of Fleet Base East, Garden Island Sydney, for the first time.

Image Courtesy: Christopher Pyne/Twitter

The newbuilding will be commissioned into the navy fleet on October 27, 2018, according to the country’s defense minister.

The Australian defense procurement office received NUSHIP Brisbane in July this year after the ship completed sea trials in May.

With ASC as a primary shipbuilder and Spanish Navantia as a designer, Hobart-class destroyers are built under an AU$9 billion program.

The ships are over 140 meters long, have a top speed of more than 28 knots, a range of about 5,000 nautical miles and room for more than 200 crew members. They are equipped with the Aegis weapon system incorporating the AN/ SPY 1D(V) phased array radar in combination with the SM-2 missile.

The ships will provide an air defense system capable of engaging enemy aircraft and missiles at ranges in excess of 150 kilometers.