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BAE Systems Australia and its industry partners, Lockheed Martin Australia and Saab Australia, have officially kicked off the program to deliver an upgraded combat system to the Royal Australian Navy's Hobart-class guided missile destroyers.
The Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) Hobart-class guided missile destroyers are set to receive a significant boost to their combat capability, with the first major milestone achieved under a new collaborative defence industry agreement.
The milestone follows the signing of the first Delivery Tasking Statement by all parties involved in the Combat Systems Integration – Integrated Project Team (CSI-IPT) Collaboration Agreement (CCA). This agreement has brought together a powerful alliance of defence stakeholders under a single, unified framework.
Formed under the auspices of the Commonwealth of Australia and represented by Defence, BAE Systems Australia, Saab Australia, and Lockheed Martin Australia, the CSI-IPT was created to oversee and deliver a comprehensive upgrade to the Hobart-class destroyers’ combat systems.
Geoff Stephens, CSI-IPT combat systems integration manager, said: "By consolidating the unique capabilities and skillsets from across our partner companies, the CSI-IPT will ensure the Continuous Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment enterprise in Australia is ready to support complex warships."
The upgrades will focus on enhancing the Aegis Combat System baseline technology, incorporating Saab’s new Australian Interface (AI), and integrating the Tomahawk Weapon System. The enhancements would be implemented initially on the first of the RAN’s three Hobart-class destroyers, with further rollouts expected to follow.
Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand chief executive, Warren McDonald, emphasised the strategic significance of the upgrades: “We are proud to partner, through the CSI-IPT, with the Royal Australian Navy and industry to upgrade the Aegis Combat System across the Hobart Class surface fleet — a true force multiplier across the Indo-Pacific,” he said.
The Hobart-class destroyers – HMAS Hobart, HMAS Brisbane, and HMAS Sydney – represent the most advanced warships in the RAN's fleet. Designed for air warfare and equipped with Aegis radar technology, they have serves as a crucial element of Australia’s maritime deterrence and defence strategy, particularly in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific region.
Paul Berryman, acting managing director of BAE Systems Australia – Maritime, said: “Working together as one team ensures three of Australia’s largest defence industry primes are united in one shared goal — to equip the Royal Australian Navy with advanced capability. This marks a key milestone in the delivery of capability by the CSI-IPT, with much more to come on the horizon across the Hobart Class and Hunter Class – the core of Australia’s current and future surface fleet.”
Saab Australia managing director, Andy Keough CSC, added: “This collaborative team of leading defence technology partners, combined with sovereign Australian integration capabilities, will significantly enhance the Royal Australian Navy’s ability to deter, protect and defend. The Hobart Class combat system upgrade also increases commonality across the RAN surface fleet, delivering operating, training and sustainment efficiencies.”
More than 130 Defence and industry personnel based in Adelaide and Melbourne would lead the effort, managing the integration, testing, installation and certification of the upgraded systems. Their work would also lay the foundation for a sovereign Combat Systems Integration capability in Australia – a vital component of future self-reliance in supporting Tier 1, Aegis-equipped surface combatants.
The Hobart-class upgrades are a key part of the Australian government’s broader push to bolster naval capability and ensure the RAN remains a potent and technologically advanced force well into the future.
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
