Two of the RAN’s three Hobart class destroyers have sailed in company for the first time as commissioned vessels to engage in Aegis combat system and cooperative engagement capability (CEC) testing.

Sailing from Sydney on August 18, HMA Ships Sydney and Brisbane sailed in company off the NSW east coast training area as part of HMAS Sydney’s DDG Force Generation Cycle.

“This activity is a great opportunity to use some of the more complex systems that we have to provide crew training and preparedness,” HMAS Sydney’s Commanding Officer, CMDR Edward ‘Ted’ Seymour said in a statement.

“The waterfront training lets us train ourselves to generate the ship’s combat systems training team and integrate this as part of the whole ship training regime. We have achieved this with valuable assistance from the team from the United States who bring expertise and experience on the Aegis Combat system.” 

The force generation cycle is a prelude to HMAS Sydney deploying to the US west coast later this year to comprehensively exercise its weapons and combat systems, the final hurdle prior to being declared available for operations.