Australia’s AWD Brisbane starts sea trials
The Royal Australian Navy’s future Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Brisbane has started the first phase of its sea trials, the Australian Department of Defence announced on 21 November.
The trials will test the ship’s hull, propulsion and navigation systems, and will be followed by a more advanced phase of sea trials next year to test combat and communications systems.
The start of Brisbane’s sea trials phase follows the commissioning of the first AWD, HMAS Hobart, earlier this year.
Minister for Defence Industry, Christopher Pyne, said: ‘Over the past decade, more than 5000 people from across the Department of Defence, ASC, Raytheon Australia and Navantia have dedicated millions of hours of effort to the AWD programme.
‘Through the AWD programme, we have created a local workforce with specialist shipbuilding and complex systems integration skills that will form the foundation for future shipbuilding projects in Australia.’
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