Australian guided missile destroyer Sydney completes sea trials

Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Australia's newest destroyer, the NUSHIP Sydney, successfully completed its sea trials and is on schedule for delivery to the navy, the Royal Australian Defense Force announced.

It is the third and final ship in the Air Warfare Destroyer series of Hobart-class vessels, designed and built by Raytheon Australia, ASC Shipbuilding and the Australian Defense Department as part of a consortium called the Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance.

The NUSHIP Sydney expected to join the HMA Hobart and the HMA Brisbane in February 2020.

The term "NUSHIP" applies to vessels of the Australian Navy not yet commissioned, in the manner that U.S. warships are designated "PCU," or "Pre-Commissioned Unit" until their commission grants them the opportunity to use "USS" in their names.

The Sydney is a diesel- and gasoline-powered, guided missile- and torpedo-carrying destroyer, 483 feet long. The vessel uses the Aegis Combat System, incorporating the state-of-the-art phased array radar, and will carry a single helicopter. Its class of ships provides air defense for accompanying ships, and can navigate successfully in shallow coastal waters.

The ship can also conduct undersea warfare and is equipped with modern sonar systems, decoys, surface-launched torpedoes and an array of effective close-in defensive weapons, a government statement said.

In a statement on Saturday, Defense Minister Linda Reynolds called the three ships "the most potent warships to date. By using a combination of Australian and globally proven technologies, these highly capable warships are truly world-class and will allow us to work even closer with our allies."