HMAS Sydney (DDG 42), named after the city of Sydney, New South Wales, is the third and final ship of the Hobart class air warfare destroyers used by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

HMAS Sydney in 2021
History
Australia
Namesake	City of Sydney, Australia
Ordered	4 October 2007
Builder	Navantia (designer) AWD Alliance (project coordinator) ASC (primary shipbuilder) Forgacs Group BAE Systems Australia (module builders)
Laid down	19 November 2015
Launched	19 May 2018
Commissioned	18 May 2020
Homeport	Fleet Base East, Sydney
Identification	MMSI number: 503000127
Motto	Thorough and Ready
Status	Active
Badge
General characteristics (as designed)
Class and type	Hobart-class destroyer
Displacement	7,000 tonnes (6,900 long tons; 7,700 short tons) full load
Length	147.2 m (482 ft 11 in)
Beam	18.6 m (61 ft 0 in) maximum
Draught	5.17 m (17 ft 0 in)
Propulsion	Combined diesel or gas (CODOG) arrangement 2 × General Electric Marine model 7LM2500-SA-MLG38 gas turbines, 17,500 kW (23,500 hp) each 2 × Caterpillar 3616 diesel engines, 5,650 kW (7,580 hp) each 2 × controllable pitch propellers
Speed	Over 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range	Over 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement	186 + 16 aircrew Accommodation for 234
Sensors and processing systems	Aegis combat system Lockheed Martin AN/SPY-1D(V) S-band radar Northrop Grumman AN/SPQ-9B X-band pulse Doppler horizon search radar Raytheon Mark 99 fire-control system with two continuous wave illuminating radars 2 × L3 Technologies SAM Electronics X-band navigation radars Ultra Electronics Sonar Systems' Integrated Sonar System Ultra Electronics Series 2500 electro-optical director Sagem VAMPIR IR search and track system Rafael Toplite stabilised target acquisition sights
Electronic warfare & decoys	ITT EDO Reconnaissance and Surveillance Systems ES-3701 ESM radar SwRI MBS-567A communications ESM system Ultra Electronics Avalon Systems multi-purpose digital receiver Jenkins Engineering Defence Systems low-band receiver 4 × Nulka decoy launchers 4 × 6-tube multi-purpose decoy launchers
Armament	48-cell Mark 41 Vertical Launch System RIM-66 Standard 2 missile RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow missile 2 × 4-canister Harpoon missile launchers 1 × Mark 45 Mod 4 5-inch gun 2 × Mark 32 Mod 9 two-tube torpedo launchers Eurotorp MU90 torpedoes 1 × Phalanx CIWS 2 × 25mm M242 Bushmaster autocannons in Typhoon mounts
Aircraft carried	1 x MH-60R Seahawk

Construction

HMAS Sydney was laid down on 19 November 2015, and launched on 19 May 2018.[1] The ship, based on the Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate designed by Navantia, was built at ASC's shipyard in Osborne, South Australia from modules fabricated by ASC, BAE Systems Australia in Victoria, and Forgacs Group in New South Wales. The ship was delivered to Australian Department of Defence on 28 February 2020,[2] after sea trials since September 2019.[3]

Service

HMAS Sydney was commissioned at sea off the coast of New South Wales on 18 May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first time since World War II that an Australian warship was commissioned at sea.[4][5][6] In March 2021, the ship's combat systems were tested in advance of any operational deployments.[7]

On May 8, 2021 HMAS Sydney struck and killed two endangered fin whales which were discovered after the ship docked at the U.S. Navy base in San Diego, California.[8] The Center for Biological Diversity announced its intent to sue the U.S. Navy and the National Marine Fisheries Service for what it called "violations" of the Endangered Species Act. The incident is under joint review by U.S. and Australian agencies.[9]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to HMAS Sydney (DDG 42).

References