Australia has received the three main gun mounts as part of the $8bn air warfare destroyer project, Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare has confirmed.

“The guns will be able to hit targets on land, air and at sea. They are capable of firing both Royal Australian Navy standard munitions and future extended-range munitions,” he added.

The $80m gun mounts, manufactured by BAE Systems, will be installed on Royal Australian Navy ships HMA Hobart, HMA Brisbane and HMA Sydney.

The mounts are also installed on RAN’s Anzac Class frigates as well as on ships within the US, Spanish, South Korean, Japanese and Danish Navies.

Construction on the air warfare destroyer is being carried out across three shipyards in Australia.