The lead ship of the Royal Australian Navy’s air warfare destroyers newest ship in the fleet arrived to Hobart for the first ever visit to its namesake city.
This port visit is the first time in 18 years a ship carrying the name Hobart has visited the city of Hobart and will see the guided missile destroyer feature as the flagship in the Royal Hobart Regatta.
Commanding officer HMAS Hobart, Captain John Stavridis, said the ship’s company are excited to strengthen the ties navy already has with Hobart and Tasmania.
“Hobart has always been a friend of Navy and we are proud to bring our newest ship into this special city for the first time,” Captain Stavridis said.
“It’s an honour to show our capabilities and welcome the local community onboard just as they’ve welcomed us into their city.
“Hobart is a world-class warship and we appreciate the opportunity to visit our namesake and see the support we have from this community before we embark on a busy year at sea proving what we can do.”
While in Hobart, HMAS Hobart will exercise their right to Freedom of Entry, participate in the Royal Hobart Regatta and host a public open day.
HMAS Hobart is based in Sydney and will spend the majority of 2018 at sea as she works towards and completes her final readiness trials in the United States.
Hobart is the first of her class with HMA Ships Brisbane and Sydney due to enter service by 2020.