Australia's three air warfare destroyers are powerful and elegant ships that will serve as a key part of the navy's fleet for decades to come, head of navy Vice Admiral Tim Barrett says.
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Speaking as the third and final destroyer, the Sydney, was lowered into the water in Adelaide on Saturday, Vice Admiral Barratt says all those who have worked on her and the two previous ships should feel proud of what they have delivered.
"A fleet that will be agile, lethal, strong and intelligent," he said.
"Today, as Sydney floats clear, she will continue the journey towards decades of service to this nation.
"She is no longer an industrial site. She is a warship."
The Sydney will now undergo final fit-out before beginning sea trials. It is expected to go into full service with the navy in late-2019.
Like its sister ships, the HMAS Hobart and the Brisbane, the Sydney is 146 metres long with a range of about 5000 nautical miles, or about 9000 kilometres, and a top speed of more than 28 knots.
It will have a crew of 186 and will be armed with harpoon missile systems and missile decoy technology.
The HMAS Hobart was launched in Adelaide in 2015 and commissioned in September last year.
The Brisbane was launched in 2016 and is expected to be commissioned later this year.
The launch of the Sydney comes as shipbuilding jobs continue to be shed in Adelaide with the wind down of the $9 billion destroyer program.
It was plagued with problems in its early years, with delays and cost blowouts but was recently removed from the defence department's projects-of-concern list.
The federal government has also moved to bolster the defence shipbuilding sector in South Australia with a decision to produce two offshore patrol boats at Osborne, along with the navy's next fleet of frigates and future submarines, providing for decades of continuous work supporting thousands of jobs.
Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne said the Sydney could have been the last ship built at Osborne with "not one" commissioned during the previous Labor federal government.
"Happily, we have 23 ships commissioned to build in this shipyard and the submarine yard," he said.
Air Warfare Alliance general manager Paul Evans said the three destroyers were the result of great cooperation between industry and defence.
"Together, the AWD Alliance has worked to transform a brownfield site into a functioning shipyard that has continued to improve processes, skills and efficiency," Mr Evans said.
AWD program manager Commodore Craig Bourke said the destroyers were Australia's most potent warships with advanced anti-submarine capabilities and an air defence system capable of engaging enemy aircraft and missiles.
Australian Associated Press