Audit shows the troubles with the Air Warfare Destroyer project

The entrenched Defence Bureaucracy in the form of a Soviet-style government-owned team effort, needs more of your money to pay for a ship Australia really doesn't need.

There have been a range of problems, with substantially lower than expected productivity at Australian shipyards, the Australian National Audit Office says.

The project, launched in 2007, is well behind schedule with the first vessel, to be named HMAS Hobart, set for delivery in March 2016 rather than December 2014.

Last year, the air warfare destroyer alliance - comprising government-owned shipbuilder ASC, the Defence Materiel Organisation and US firm Raytheon - advised that construction would be completed at an estimated $302 million over the target.

ANAO now says that figure is likely to be "significantly" greater thanks to a continuing decline in construction productivity.

By November 2013, it was costing ASC $1.60 to produce work originally estimated to cost $1.

At one time, years ago, the Air Warfare Destroyer project was projected to come in at a much lower price.

Raytheon Selected as Combat System-System Engineer for the Australian Navy's New Air Warfare Destroyers

April 21, 2005, CANBERRA, April 21, 2005 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), has been selected by the Australian Department of Defence as the preferred bidder for the combat system-system engineer project for the Royal Australian Navy's $4.6 billion ($6 billion Australian) Air Warfare Destroyer program.

Those responsible for this mess make for an interesting read.

Not mentioned in the article is that the Air Warfare Destroyers will be delivered with an obsolete radar system. The U.S. helped get this legacy technology in using the hard sell.

It worked.

Today, this project will probably end up costing $10B.

For 3 ships.

-----------

The Hobart Class - Differences from the F100 Class

Navantia’s F104 ship design is the basis for the AWD. The F104 baseline is being updated for AWD to include;

• Key F105 features,
• Australian Combat system modifications, and
• Selected platform upgrades that are unique to the Hobart Class.

These features are summarised as follows:

F105 Modifications

• More efficient and powerful diesel engines coupled with improved fuel tank arrangements will provide increased range,
• The inclusion of a bow thruster will improve manoeuvrability in harbours;
• Improvements to underway replenishment arrangements for manpower efficiencies;
• Changes to funnel tops to improve the ship’s air wake; and
• Bunk size increases to improve habitability.

AWD Combat System Modifications

• The Hobart Class will use the Aegis Weapon System Baseline 7.1and the AN/SPY-1D(V) Phased Array Radar.
• The Under Sea Warfare capability will be upgraded by:
  • Enhanced Anti Submarine Warfare capabilities and the addition of a torpedo defence system;
  • ASW decoys for torpedo defence;
  • Enhanced undersea communications;
  • Integration of the MU90 torpedo.

Other changes include:

• Modification of the MK45 gun and Gun Fire Control System, including provision for Extended Range Munitions (ERM);
• Addition of the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC);
• Modification of the IFF UPX-29 to the current tactical standard;
• Addition of an Horizon Search Radar (HSR) for improved anti-ship missile defence;
• Upgrades to the Surface-to-Surface Missile System to improve target selectivity in congested water, littoral and coastal operations;
• Upgrades to the Very Short Range Defence system to improve its integration and utility against asymmetric surface threats;
• Upgrades to the Electronic Warfare system, including the addition of electronic attack capabilities;
• Addition of X/Ka Satcom and INMARSAT Fleet Broadband and INMARSAT C capability;
• Improved Infrared Search and Track capabilities;
• Improved Electro-Optical Surveillance capability;
• Addition of Nulka Launchers for active missile decoys;

AWD-Unique Platform Modifications

The ship’s displacement will be increased to 7,000 tonnes for an improved service life margin.

Cold weather operation will be improved to allow for deployment into Australia’s southern waters.

The hangar will be modified to accommodate a range of helicopters.

Other modifications include:

• Increased total cold room capacity for improved endurance;
• Incorporation of a fixed gas detection system to warn of the presence of harmful gases in compartments where personnel exposure risks exist;
• Modification of the 220V/50Hz network to 240V/50 Hz, incorporation of Residual Current Devices (RCD) and the Australian pin configuration for general purpose outlets, and
• Modification of existing stowage, and increases in the overall number of stowage facilities, for thermal protective suit and life raft containers.

(Source: Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance)