Australia’s destroyer HMAS Hobart enters upgrade phase

Australia’s guided missile destroyer HMAS Hobart has formally entered the production phase of its upgrade program after docking at South Australia’s Osborne Naval Shipyard.

Under the Destroyer Capability Enhancement (DCE) program, Australia’s Hobart-class destroyers, HMA ships Hobart, Brisbane and Sydney, will receive advancements that will boost capability. This includes new modern technology, integration of a Tomahawk cruise missile system, and an upgraded Aegis combat system.

The DCE program was announced in the Commonwealth’s 2024 Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Plan.

BAE Systems Australia is an industry partner in the destroyer enterprise (which also includes the Commonwealth of Australia, Lockheed Martin Australia, Thales Australia, Saab Australia, Raytheon Australia, and Navantia Australia) that is sustaining the DDGs at their homeport, Garden Island, in Sydney.

In 2024, the company was announced as the ship’s capability life cycle manager, meaning it oversees sustainment activities, such as engineering, maintenance, supply chain, and project management.

“Hobart’s arrival was the accumulation of many months of hard work and since the milestone, the DCE teams have continued moving at pace with efficiency,” Shaun Connelly, BAE Systems Australia – Maritime’s DDG Program Director, said.

One aspect of the DCE program is the Combat Systems Integration – Integrated Project Team (CSI-IPT). This collaboration between the Commonwealth of Australia, BAE Systems Australia, Saab Australia and Lockheed Martin Australia is delivering the updated Aegis combat system for the Hobarts.

According to BAE Systems, the CSI-IPT is increasing the DDGs’ combat systems capability from Aegis Baseline 8 to 9, as well as introducing Saab’s new Australian interface and incorporating a Tomahawk weapon system into the vessels.

The upgraded Aegis will also be included on the Hunter-class frigates upon entering service.

The lead ship, HMAS Hobart, was commissioned into service in 2017, followed by HMAS Brisbane in 2018 and HMAS Sydney in 2020. 

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