Williamstown,
Victoria: NUSHIP Adelaide, Australia’s second Landing Helicopter
Dock (LHD) ship, is successfully completing her second and final sea
trials in Port Phillip Bay. The 27,800 tonne warship will return to
BAE Systems’ Williamstown shipyard later today where she will
then be prepared for delivery to the Department of Defence’s Capability
Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) and the Royal Australian Navy
(RAN). |
The main
focus of the final sea trials was on testing the ship’s combat
and communications systems. They were undertaken over a 10 day period
throughout the ship’s journey from Williamstown to Jervis Bay,
NSW and the return voyage. These areas were chosen to provide maximum
flexibility and proximity to the Australian Defence Force assets being
used.
The Royal Australian Navy will have the opportunity to perform various
routine alongside exercises as it continues to build its capability
for crewing the vessel while the ship compartments and systems are progressively
handed over to the NUSHIP Adelaide crew as part of the overall ship
delivery process.
The crew has already been trained for its role on the RAN’s second
LHD ship. BAE Systems Australia trained all 700 crew serving on NUSHIP
Adelaide and HMAS Canberra at the Company’s state-of-the-art training
facility at Mascot, Sydney.
Director of Maritime, BAE Systems Australia, Bill Saltzer said: “The
upcoming handover will of course be a very proud day for all involved
with building NUSHIP Adelaide, but it won’t be the end of our
involvement with these mighty ships. As prime contractor for LHD In
Service Support, our team of experienced engineers, technicians and
logisticians in both Sydney and Williamstown will continue to be the
key partner to the CASG and RAN in managing the availability of these
two ships at Garden Island, Sydney. Our LHD team is now focused on the
final elements of work in preparing NUSHIP Adelaide for delivery. Some
of the team members on the LHD build program will then transition to
the support services group. Some have already made that transition since
the time of delivery of HMAS Canberra. BAE Systems has the capability,
experience and facilities to support and upgrade the Navy’s ships,
as we are currently successfully demonstrating on the ANZAC Frigate
Anti Ship Missile Defence upgrade project and our other support activities
on both ANZAC and Adelaide Class Frigates, Hydrographic Vessels and
systems/components installed on the RAN’s minehunters and submarines.”
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