The Aegis missile system for Australia’s first Aegis-based Air Warfare Destroyer began a four month testing program today at Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Production Test Center.  After testing,  the weapon system ready for installation on the HMAS Hobart, the first of three Australian Air Warfare Destroyers currently under contract.
Lockheed Martin’s Production Test Center has facilities replicating a ship’s superstructure and will allow all aspect’s of the final ship installation to be tested before delivery. Orlando Carvalho, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Surface/Sea-Based Missile Defense Systems said of the process, “This land-based testing process is critical to the exacting reliability that Aegis continually delivers, and will deliver for the Australian Navy.”
After testing, the Aegis system will be shipped to ASC Shipyard in Adelaide, Australia for installation. The Hobart-class Air Warfare Destroyer will be the most advanced warships built in Australia and will be the first in the Royal Australian Navy to incorporate the Aegis Weapon System.
