Royal Australian Navy Discussions and Updates 2.0

[OldTex]

With its large deck, davits, stern launch and recovery sytem it may also end up serving as a useful drone mothership.

That was one of the ideas with the Arafura class acting as the basis for the replacement of the MCM and Hydrographic vessels. Those MWVs do still need to be replaced, possibly with autonomous systems but supported by suitable motherships.

 

[spoz]

From Pat Conroys socials, Pilbara looks like it’s pretty far along, think it will definitely be commissioned next year.
Never saw Eyre enter the water until this year although it was “launched in November 2023”, it didn’t spend much time at the wharf before fit out.
Sea trials were completed in just under 1 month. (Late June - Late July)

I was at Eyre’s launch; and onboard her many times alongside over the next months. She was taken out for a bottom clean, as is standard procedure before sea trials because of the amount of growth which occurs in the warm, slightly brackish water of the Port River; but she was there alright.

What takes time after launch is not only things like finishing cable pulls and pipe runs; it’s equipment set to work and individual systems grooming then integrated testing. And also getting those who have to approve the ship as ready to go to sea to agree. I hope I’m wrong, but after 40 years in the business I won’t be counting on it. Sea trials for Hobart also took about a month, btw; by the time you get to that point most things had better be sorted.