Air Warfare Destroyers
PROJECT SEA 4000 - AIR WARFARE DESTROYERS
$8 billion
Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance:
- Defence Materiel Organisation
- ASC AWD Shipbuilder Pty Ltd
- Raytheon Australia Pty Ltd
Royal Australian Navy
United States Navy
Navantia
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Government of South Australia
The $8 billion AWD project is the largest defence contract in Australia and one of the most significant shipbuilding projects in Australia’s history. The AWD Alliance is responsible for delivering three HOBART Class Air Warfare Destroyers to the Royal Australian Navy between 2014 and 2017.
The Alliance is working with Navantia as the chosen Platform System Designer, and alongside the United States Navy and Lockheed Martin Corporation to deliver the Aegis Combat System for the ships.
The AWDs will provide air defence against attacking missiles and aircraft. With a range of 5,000+ nautical miles, they protect land forces and infrastructure in near-coastal areas as well as other ships.
The first keel block was delivered to Techport Australia in August 2011, with another two arriving in September 2011. These blocks weigh approximately 190 tonnes each, are 19 metres long, 17 metres wide and five metres high. They will form a part of the the keel of the first warship.
This project will transform South Australia’s economy. The Air Warfare Destroyer project will spend about $2.3 billion in South Australia including work at the ASC shipyard and the AWD Systems Centre, which is the headquarters of the Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance, as well as the many companies involved in supplying steel fabrication items like pipe work and ventilation trunking, combat system equipment and a whole range of services to the project.
In October 2010, there were more than 800 people working on the Air Warfare Destroyer project in South Australia, including over 550 people at ASC. With the growing production workforce at the ASC shipyard, this number will continue to rise.
For more information visit the AWD Alliance
Apr 2005 Raytheon Australia Pty Ltd selected as the Combat System - Systems Engineer
May 2005 ASC AWD shipbuilder Pty Ltd selected as Shipbuilder
Nov 2005 Adelaide selected as the location for the AWD Program headquarters
Jun 2007 Navantia-designed F100 selected as basis for Australia’s future Hobart Class AWDs
Aug 2007 State Government commenced construction on the Common User Facility at Techport Australia in support of the AWD program
Oct 2007 AWD Program enters build phase
Aug 2008 Ultra Electronics selected to supply Undersea Warfare Sonar System
Jun 2009 FORGACS and BAE Systems Australia Defence signed contracts for the construction of hull blocks
Jan 2010 AWD project passed critical design review and entered production phase
Jan 2010 Official opening of the ASC Shipyard
Mar 2010 Official opening of the Common User Facility at Techport Australia
Apr 2010 Construction of the AWD blocks underway in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales
Apr 2010 ITT–EDO Reconnaissance and Surveillance Systems Inc selected as the preferred supplier for the electronic warfare system
May 2010 Thales Australia Limited selected as the preferred supplier for satellite communications equipment
Dec 2010 Official opening of the AWD Systems Centre at Techport
