HMAS Hobart (III)

As the lead ship of the class, HMAS Hobart (D39) returned the "Guided Missile Destroyer" designation to the Australian fleet for the first time since the decommissioning of the Perth-class in 2001. Historically, her construction was the most complex, serving as the "first-of-class" prototype that established the sovereign shipbuilding standards for the Australian AWD Alliance. Since her 2017 commissioning, she has functioned as the primary testbed for Aegis integration in the Southern Hemisphere, earning the prestigious 2022 Otranto Shield for maintaining the highest standard of electronic warfare in the fleet. To honor her heritage, she carries the Duke of Gloucester’s Cup lineage and is the only ship in the class to carry the battle honors inherited from the original Hobart (I), which served with distinction in the Mediterranean during WWII.

The Hobart-class guided-missile destroyers were developed under Project SEA 4000 to restore the Royal Australian Navy’s high-end integrated air defense capability, filling the strategic gap left by the retirement of the Perth-class. Based on the proven Spanish Navantia F100 design, the class was selected for its balance of established technology and adaptability, then modified for Australian conditions with enhanced range and habitability. While the hulls were assembled in South Australia by ASC through the AWD Alliance, the ships' primary purpose is centered on the American-designed Aegis Combat System, which allows them to track and engage over 100 targets simultaneously. This fusion of a Spanish-designed platform and advanced US sensors provides a sophisticated "air defense bubble" for naval task groups while serving as a multi-role combatant capable of anti-submarine and surface warfare across the Indo-Pacific.