Australian Navy’s new Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) NUSHIP Adelaide left BAE Systems Williamstown on June 17 to begin sea trials.
After some initial trials in Port Phillip Bay, NUSHIP Adelaide will spend ten days on the water travelling to Sydney.
The current testing precedes a second period of sea trials in August, ahead of delivery to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) later this year.
In Sydney, NUSHIP Adelaide will be dry docked so her hull and flight deck can be cleaned and painted. She will then set sail and undertake more sea trials on the return voyage to Williamstown, arriving in mid-July. The August sea trials will focus on communication and combat systems.
BAE Systems Director of Maritime, Bill Saltzer said:
We will undertake approximately 240 hours of testing over 20 days to ensure all systems perform to their capability. Some of the trials will run concurrently and cover everything from basic systems operations such as alarms, to the ship’s manoeuvrability while at sea. We are on track to deliver NUSHIP Adelaide at the end of September this year.
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Image: BAE Systems