01/11/2012 -The Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Alliance has taken delivery of all „SPY‟ radar array faces that will be installed on the first destroyer, Hobart.
AWD Alliance CEO Rod Equid today said the first two AN/SPY-1D(V) radar array faces arrived in June and now the final two faces for the first ship have arrived in Adelaide from the United States. The radar is the main sensor of the Aegis Weapon System and will provide the Hobart Class destroyers with comprehensive surveillance around the ship.
Mr Equid said the multi-function SPY radar is capable of search, automatic detection, tracking of air and surface targets and support to missile engagement.
“The SPY radar is readily recognisable by the four octagonal-shaped array faces that are located on the mast of the ship,” Mr Equid said.
“The four array faces send out beams of electromagnetic energy in all directions, providing a continuous search and tracking capability for hundreds of targets.”
“The SPY radar, combined with the AN/SPQ-9B horizon search radar, will ensure each of the destroyers go into service with state-of-the-art radar packages.”
Work on Ship 1 Hobart and Ship 2 Brisbane is well advanced at Techport Australia as the AWD Alliance embarks on the peak production phase of the project.
All three ships will be armed with a 48 cell Vertical Launch System, an Mk 45 5” gun, phalanx close-in weapon system, torpedoes, anti-ship harpoon missiles, Nulka missile decoy system and hull mounted sonar, as well as variable depth sonar for detection of enemy submarines and torpedoes.
This gives each destroyer air and surface defence, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capability as well as the ability to embark a helicopter at sea.
The AN/SPY-1D(V) radar was supplied by United States company Lockheed Martin and acquired by the Australian Government through the Foreign Military Sales program.
The AWD project is being delivered under an Alliance arrangement between ASC, Raytheon Australia, and the Commonwealth’s Defence Materiel Organisation. Each AWD is based on the Spanish F100 platform design and will feature an Australianised combat system and platform upgrades that will provide the Royal Australian Navy with one of the world’s most advanced multi-mission warships.
