First Aegis Weapon System Completed for Royal Australian Navy

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First Aegis Weapon System Completed for Royal Australian Navy
1 DECEMBER 2009

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] celebrated the completed production of the first Aegis Weapon System for the Royal Australian Navy’s Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD-1) Program.

In a “pull-the-plug” ceremony at its Moorestown facility, Lockheed Martin marked the successful completion of a full range of acceptance tests conducted over several months to verify system performance. This milestone indicates the Aegis system is now ready for shipboard installation on HOBART, the first of Australia’s three planned Aegis-equipped destroyers.

In 2007, the U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to equip the three Australian ships with the Aegis. The first AWD-1 system will now be packed and shipped to ASC Shipyard in Adelaide, South Australia. HOBART is expected to be delivered to the Royal Australian Navy in December 2014.

“This ceremony represents the culmination of an exceptional effort to deliver a tested Aegis Weapon System for the Australia Air Warfare Destroyer,” said Rear Admiral Terry Benedict, Program Executive Officer for Integrated Warfare Systems, U.S. Navy. “I want to congratulate the AWD Team, both in Australia and in the United States, on this significant achievement.”

“We are so pleased to be a part of this international effort,” said Orlando Carvalho, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Surface/Sea-based Missile Defense business based in Moorestown. “The Lockheed Martin team, along with our U.S. Navy and Australian industry partners, the Defense Materiel Organization, Raytheon Australia and ASC Shipbuilding, continue to deliver the world’s finest combat system to our customers, and that makes all of us very proud to be part of this program.”

The Aegis system enables destroyers to engage simultaneous threats from under the sea, the surface and the air. The 92 Aegis-equipped ships currently in service around the globe have more than 950 years of at-sea operational experience and have launched more than 3,500 missiles in tests and real-world operations. In addition to the U.S. and Australia, Aegis is the maritime weapon system of choice for Japan, Norway, South Korea and Spain.




Source: Lockheed Martin

 

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ASC's shipyard ready for Australian Air Warfare Destroyer construction
AUSTRALIA - 22 JANUARY 2010

Construction of the Air Warfare Destroyers (AWDs) is expected to ramp up as ASC’s $120 million shipyard was officially opened today at Osborne, South Australia.

More than 700 people attended the opening, including the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Kevin Rudd MP and the Premier of South Australia, the Hon Mike Rann MP.

The new shipyard will become ASC’s construction and consolidation site for the $8 billion Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Program.

“The shipyard represents a significant investment in Australia’s naval future and incorporates the latest production design features currently utilised in international naval build programs,” Chairman Vice Admiral Chris Ritchie AO RANR said.

The state-of-the-art facility includes dedicated AWD production facilities, new office accommodation for 400 employees, a wharf support building with office space and workshops, and a significant upgrade to existing facilities.

“Today marks a defining moment in the history of ASC and means we are now ready to take on one of the most complex engineering projects ever undertaken in this country.”

It is ASC’s biggest infrastructure program since the 1987 establishment of the Collins Class submarine facility at Osborne, South Australia.


ASC’S $120 Million Shipyard Development

ASC’s 14-hectare shipyard is located at Osborne, South Australia, adjacent to ASC’s submarine maintenance facilities and the South Australian Government’s Common User Facility (CUF), and is part of Techport Australia.

Three Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyers (AWDs) will be built at the shipyard.

It is the most modern shipyard in Australia – incorporating the latest production design features currently utilised in international naval build programs.




Source: ASC Pty Ltd