Australia selects U.S. design

Australia picked U.S. naval architect Gibbs and Cox as its preferred designer for a A$4.6 billion project to build a new generation of air warfare destroyers, one of the country?s biggest ever defense contract.

Gibbs and Cox had been chosen over German firm Blohm and Voss and Navantia of Spain to help create the air warfare destroyers (AWD), which represent a quantum leap in the air warfare capabilities of the Australian Royal Navy (RAN). The vessels, which are to be introduced into service from 2013, will be equipped with the AEGIS Combat System capable of detecting hostile aircraft and missiles at ranges in excess of 150 kilometers (90 miles). Gibbs and Cox proposed a design based on a modified version of their Arleigh Burke DDG-51 guided missile destroyer, currently being used by the U.S. Navy.

Gibbs and Cox will join Lockheed Martin and alliance partners ASC Shipbuilding and Raytheon Australia to work together over the next phase of the project. However, the government planned to keep Navantia in the running so an “Australianised” version of its F-100 warship design can serve as a costing benchmark. Both designs will be considered by the government before final project approval in 2007.

The government has provided $350 million towards the initial phases of the AWD project, including design work, training, initial infrastructure investment and facilities construction. The new warships, which will also have anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capabilities, will be interoperable with U.S. and British forces. With a displacement of over 9,000 tonnes, the AWDs will be used to protect naval task groups and deployed Australian forces from air attack.