From Daily Escape

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Revision as of 03:13, 12 April 2008

The Hobart class Guided Missile Cruisers are American-designed, Australian-built AEGIS equipped Air Warfare Cruisers in service with the Royal Australian Navy. They are made by the Australian Submarine Corporation, in South Australia. The design is based on the American Arleigh Burke class Guided Missile Destroyers.

The ships are closer to cruisers in overall performance, having 128 Mk-41 VLS cells for Standard missiles, VL-ASROC, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (rarely carried). The ship also carries 16 Harpoon missiles in quad launchers.

There are four in service:

• HMAS Hobart
• HMAS Brisbane
• HMAS Sydney
• HMAS Achilles

HMAS Hobart underway

Specifications

Displacement	10,000 tonnes
Length	544 ft (165.9 m)
Machinery	4 General Electric LM2500 COGAG; two shafts, 100,000 total shaft horsepower (75 MW)
Speed	30+ kts
Armament	One 5 inch (127mm/L62) Mk-45 Mod 4 (lightweight gun) One 20mm Phalanx CIWS One RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launcher 16 RGM-84 Harpoons in 4 quad launchers 128 Cell VLS system (80 missiles fore, 48 aft) Usual combat load 80 Standard SM-2 32 BGM-109 Tomahawks 16 VL-ASROC 2 Mk 32 Triple Torpedo Tubes for Mk 46 Torpedoes
Aircraft	2 S-70B-2 Seahawk