Navy Daily:
The Anzac class frigate Anti Ship Missile Defence (ASMD) upgrade program has reached a milestone at the BAE Systems Shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia recently.
Navy personnel joined counterparts from the Australian Public Service, BAE Systems, CEA Technologies, SAAB Systems and a number of other organisations on 2 September to witness the final time two Anzac Class frigates would be in dry dock together.
Surface Combatant Group Capability Manager Representative Captain (CAPT) Michael Turner said with HMAS Toowoomba due to undock on 13 September and Stuart deep into her upgrade, the end of the ASMD program was now in sight.
“It’s important for us to pause and acknowledge both the significant achievements made by the people here today, and those who couldn’t be here, to deliver these world-leading upgraded frigates and also the incredible reach this project has in terms of the people required to deliver it,” CAPT Turner said.
“Each ship docks for approximately 12 months to facilitate the significant structural work required to install the new mast to support the Phased Array Radar system, a coating of the new haze grey livery and other docking dependant tasks.”
“This is followed by several months alongside conducting harbour acceptance trials and system work, and culminates in a month-long sea trial period before the ship is formally returned to full Royal Australian Navy service.”
ASMD Program Delivery Manager, Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Felicity Petrie, has been involved with the program since 2014 and said she was proud to see what had been delivered in that time.
“It’s impressive to take in the sheer number of personnel here today and to understand that this is not everyone who has a hand in the delivery of this cutting edge technology to Navy,” LCDR Petrie said.
“This program has had an enormous positive impact on local industry and on Navy capability.”
Each docking and upgrade is a complex operation managed by an Integrated Project Team comprising Navy and contract personnel responsible for project and engineering management.”
This ranges from various maintenance jobs to trade work, painting, cleaning, safety and security tasks.
“In the background, hundreds more people have ‘touched’ the project in design, contracting and other aspects – it’s estimated that more than half a million hours of work are expended on each ship as it progresses through the upgrade,” Lieutenant Commander Petrie said.
