HMAS Hobart (DDG 39), named after the city of Hobart, Tasmania, is the lead ship of the Hobart-class air warfare destroyers used by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The ship, based on the Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate designed by Navantia, was built at ASC's shipyard in Osborne, South Australia from modules fabricated by ASC, BAE Systems Australia in Victoria, and Forgacs Group in New South Wales. Hobart was ordered in 2007, but errors and delays in construction have caused extensive schedule slippage. Despite commissioning initially planned for December 2014, the ship was not laid down until September 2012, and launched in May 2015. The Department of Defence accepted delivery of HMAS Hobart on 16 June 2017. The ship was commissioned on 23 September 2017.
The Australian Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) project commenced in 2000, to replace the Adelaide-class frigates and restore the capability last exhibited by the Perth-class destroyers. The AWD Alliance (a consortium of the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO), shipbuilder ASC, and combat system designer Raytheon) was created to oversee the acquisition project. In August 2005, Gibbs & Cox's Evolved Flight II Arleigh Burke-class destroyer concept and the Navantia-designed Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate were selected from the initial round of tendering for further study. Although the Arleigh Burke concept was larger, better-armed, and more capable on paper, the Álvaro de Bazán class was selected June 2007 as the basis of the AWD as they had seen active service, could be in Australian service earlier and were cheaper. Three ships were ordered on 4 October 2007, with an unexercised option for a fourth.
Other ships in the class are:
HMAS Brisbane
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