HMAS Stuart enters ASMD upgrade
The Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Stuart Anzac-class frigate has entered the Anti-Ship Missile Defence (ASMD) upgrade, with the vessel now docked at the BAE Systems Australia Henderson shipyard in Western Australia.
As part of the upgrade, the ship’s two mast modules will be removed, modified and replaced, the ship will be blasted back and repainted, and an upgraded Saab Systems Mk3E system will be installed. Fibre optic cables will be installed extensively across the vessel for the CEA phased array radar and other sensors to communicate with the new combat system.
The frigate will return to sea after the upgrade in early March 2017. It is expected to undergo sea and harbour trials in October 2017, after which it will return to service.
HMAS Stuart is the final ship of class to enter the upgrade programme.
Lt Cdr Felicity Petrie, upgrade program delivery manager, Royal Australian Navy, said: ‘This represents the completion of a significant body of work by a number of navy personnel and civilian contractors across the Anzac fleet. Stuart’s upgrade will signal the end of the ‘classic’ configuration and herald a new era in navy capability.
‘The operations room will be completely overhauled, bringing the entire Anzac fleet up to current standards for ergonomics and information display.’
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits]()
US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits
A Pentagon push to procure warships from Japanese and South Korean shipyards could reshape allied naval industrial strategy, but critics warn the approach risks hollowing out the domestic base Washington is seeking to restore.
-
![Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA]()
Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA
The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.
-
![Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development]()
Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development
Ukraine’s battlefield has rewritten the rules of uncrewed systems development. For Syos Aerospace, real-time operator feedback, lean serial production and a system-of-systems philosophy are central to its operating model.
-
![AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise]()
AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise
The AUKUS partnership is accelerating uncrewed undersea capability while its submarine arm inches forward, and Australia’s decision to settle for three in-service Virginia-class boats raises questions about industrial risk, dependency and whether Pillar II may deliver meaningful capability long before Pillar I can.
-
![Peru partnership may serve as a template for South Korean naval exports into South America]()
Peru partnership may serve as a template for South Korean naval exports into South America
With a growing pipeline of naval modernisation programmes in South America, South Korean companies could be set to expand their presence in the region as recent contract wins highlight growing collaboration.
