Page 10 - Australian Defence Magazine October 2019

NEWS REVIEW
INDUSTRY UPDATE
HMAS Hobart in first local missile firing
HMAS Hobart conducts a live fire exercise using the vertically launched RIM-66 Standard Missile 2 (SM2).
Missiles and Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles, a Mk 45 5-inch main gun, Phalanx Close- In Weapons System, two 25mm Typhoons guns, and MU90 and Mk54 light-weight torpedoes for subsurface defence.
HMAS Hobart is based at Garden Is- land in Sydney and will deploy for the first time next month as the lead ship in a task group deployment.
Air Affairs Australia (AAA) and Air Target Services (ATS) were also involved in the successful missile firing.
AAA provided a Phoenix Jet Un- manned Aerial Target that was success- fully launched and flown towards HMAS Hobart in order to emulate a realistic airborne threat. During an attack profile that was flown, HMAS Hobart responded with a missile launch that successfully tracked and engaged the Phoenix Jet UAT.
The Air Affairs Australia Phoenix Jet is a Remotely Piloted Aircraft that operates as an Unmanned Aerial Target (UAT) in support of the ADF's weapons tracking and firing programs.
HMAS Hobart has become the first Ho- bart-class Guided Missile Destroyer to fire a missile in Australian waters.
Hobart fired an SM-2 Standard Missile, successfully hitting an unmanned target during trials off the coast of NSW.
Hobart’s Commanding Officer, Com- mander Ryan Gaskin said the successful firing was a significant step in progressing Navy’s high-end warfighting capability.
“The missile firing was an opportunity
to test recent upgrades to the ship’s Ae- gis combat system and prepare the ship’s company for their upcoming deploy- ment,” Commander Gaskin said. “Our advanced sensors provide a real-time pic- ture of the tactical situation, which when combined with our weapons systems gives us a formidable defence capability.”
HMAS Hobart carries a range of weap- ons systems, including a Mk41 Vertical Launch System containing SM-2 Standard
RAN to get seven anti-mine underwater drones
JULIAN KERR | SYDNEY
THE RAN’s anti-mine capability will be boosted next year with the delivery un- der Project Sea 1778-1 of four General Dynamics Bluefin-9 unmanned under- water vehicles (UUVs) and three larger Bluefin-12s, a Defence spokesperson has confirmed.
The UUVs, to be based at HMAS Wa- terhen in Sydney, will search for, classify and identify sea mines, providing a mari- time task group with an “initial, interim, mine countermeasures capability,” the spokesperson said.
According to the manufacturer, the Bluefin-9 combines high navigational ac- curacy, outstanding sonar resolution, and precision manufacturing to deliver highly- detailed subsurface data via a removable data storage module.
This stores high-definition images, video and sonar data that can be accessed
within minutes of the vehicle’s recov- ery. The two-man portable UUV weighs 70kg and can be deployed and recovered from piers, a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) or other vessels of opportunity.
The Bluefin-9 delivers mission endur- ance of up to eight hours at three knots and dives to 200 metres. The Bluefin-12 weighs 213kg and can carry multiple pay- loads simultaneously for mine counter- measures and unexploded ordnance detec- tion at depths of up to 200 metres.
The vehicle design includes swappable payload sections and battery mod-
ules for in-field mission reconfigu- ration. Endurance is around 26
hours at three knots.
Rapid Environmental Assess-
ment under Project Sea 1770-1 will also be enhanced with the delivery
The Bluefin-9 delivers mission endurance of up to eight hours at three knots and dives to 200 metres.
in December of two REMUS 100S UUVs optimised for hydrographic survey and seabed search in shallow waters to a depth of 100 metres.
Defence anticipates operational ca- pability will be achieved in June 2020 within an undisclosed suite of systems. The capability will provide the ability to remotely conduct hydrographic surveys in addition to recording oceanographic information such as salinity and current for prediction models to support military operations and exercises.
10 | October 2019 | www.australiandefence.com.au
GD
DEFENCE