First
Australian Navy Hobart Class Destroyer blocks head for Adelaide
Australian
Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced that the first three
Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) blocks fabricated by Newcastle shipbuilder
Forgacs Engineering have started their journey to Adelaide.
The blocks are being transported from Forgacs Tomago Shipyard by barge
and two tugs along the North Arm of the Hunter River.
The barge will then be transferred to a single ocean going tug,
which will tow the blocks through Newcastle Harbour and on to the Government
of South Australia's Common User Facility at Techport. The blocks will
arrive in just over a week, depending on weather conditions.
HOBART
class Air Warfare Destroyer for the Royal Australian Navy (Video: AWD
Alliance)
“Forgacs are building around half the blocks
for these ships. They are doing outstanding work on some of the most advanced
warships in the world,” Mr Clare said.
"Last week I attended the keel-laying ceremony in Adelaide for the
first destroyer Hobart. The ceremony was a significant milestone in the
AWD project and marked the start of the next phase in the delivery of
these warships,” Mr Clare said.
Forgacs is constructing 44 blocks for the AWD project, including 14 blocks
for the first destroyer. The remaining Forgacs blocks for the first AWD
will arrive in Adelaide over the next 12 months.
The AWD project directly employs more than 2500 people, with almost 700
based in Newcastle.
The AWD will have anti-air, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capability
and will be able to embark a helicopter at sea.
