Lockheed Martin has produced the first Aegis weapon system for the Royal Australian Navy’s air warfare destroyer (AWD-1) programme, which will be delivered to ASC Shipyard in Adelaide, South Australia.

The weapon system underwent a wide range of acceptance tests and is ready for shipboard installation on HMAS Hobart, the first of the navy’s three planned Aegis-equipped destroyers.

The Aegis weapon system enables the air warfare destroyers to engage simultaneous threats from submarines, surface ships and aircraft and has been equipped on 92 vessels including ships from the Japanese, Norwegian, South Korean and Spanish Navies.

The Royal Australian Navy is expected to receive the Aegis equipped HMAS Hobart in December 2014.