The
second of the Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ships being built for the
Royal Australian Navy (RAN) will leave the Williamstown shipyard and
head up the eastern coast of NSW to the Jervis Bay area. About 200 BAE
Systems employees, equipment/system subcontractors, RAN crew members
and representatives from the Department of Defence Capability Acquisition
and Sustainment Group will be on board to support the trials which are
expected to last 10 days. |
Pivotal
to this period of sea trials will be testing of the ship’s combat
and communications systems in a range of scenarios to validate the systems’
capabilities. Like her sister ship HMAS Canberra that was delivered
by BAE Systems last October, HMAS Adelaide is the largest and most complex
type of vessel that the RAN operates.
When she returns from sea trials, NUSHIP Adelaide will be prepared for
delivery. The RAN 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.
The crew has already been trained for its role on the RAN’s second
Landing Helicopter Dock ship. All crew serving on NUSHIP Adelaide and
HMAS Canberra were trained by BAE Systems at the Company’s state-of-the-art
training facility at Mascot, Sydney.
Director of Maritime, Bill Saltzer said: “Everyone who has worked
on this program should be proud of their contribution in delivering
a step change in capability to the RAN. We have integrated the many
systems that have brought the ships to life and which will be vital
during their service to the Navy, both for defence of Australia as well
as for providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief. Of course as
the prime contractor for the In Service Support of both LHDs, our connection
with, and commitment to, these amazing vessels will continue long beyond
the delivery of NUSHIP Adelaide.” |
The
future HMAS Adelaide. Picture: RAN