HMAS Sydney (V)

While part of a three-ship class, HMAS Sydney (D42) maintains a distinct operational and historical identity within the Royal Australian Navy. Most notably, she is the first Australian warship commissioned at sea since World War II, a ceremony conducted off the coast of New South Wales in May 2020 due to global pandemic restrictions. Technically, Sydney serves as the fleet's "pathfinder" for advanced lethality; in 2024, she became the first Australian destroyer to successfully test-fire the RIM-174 Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) and the Naval Strike Missile (NSM), marking a transition toward high-end integrated air and missile defense. Historically, her keel was laid on the anniversary of the loss of HMAS Sydney (II) to honor the 645 sailors lost in 1941. To visually distinguish her from her sister ships, she carries a unique red "V" on her hull and main gun turret, signaling her place as the fifth vessel to carry the prestigious name and its 14 inherited battle honors.

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.