The navy’s newest and biggest ever capital ships, HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide are currently in the final stages of commissioning the Landing Helicopter Docks (LHD) on board. The ships are a $3 billion investment by the Australian Defence Force.
The enormous ships are more than 32 meters wide, 230 meters long, and with a mast tall enough to touch the Sydney Harbour Bridge, they dwarf all others in the Royal Australian Navy fleet. The ships houses gas and diesel generators able to produce 33.5 megawatts of power, enough to power a city the size of Darwin and can carry 1100 fully equipped combat troops, up to 110 vehicles and 16 helicopters as well as thousands of tonnes of humanitarian aid.
The ship’s commissioning, led by Principal contractor BAE Systems, brings together 112 modules from around the country as well as 7 control systems, including the Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) from Spanish ship builder, Navantia.
The IPMS integrates all of the ships systems, except the combat system, including the water treatment, fire detection, HVAC, doors and propulsion.
SAGE Automation has worked with both BAE Systems and Navantia to commission and test the ship’s control systems.