Sydney previously fired the weapon at RIMPAC 2024, when the Navy integrated the Naval Strike Missile into its surface combatant fleet. The latest firing demonstrated the ship’s enhanced long-range maritime strike capability.
The target was the former USS Mobile Bay, a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser. The ship served in the U.S. Navy from 1987 until its decommissioning in 2023.
After the missile strike, Sydney’s embarked MH-60R Flight 607 “Fenrir” fired two Hellfire missiles at the vessel. Flight 605 “Dundee,” operating from USS Wayne E. Meyer, launched two additional Hellfires.
“We have been working toward today before our arrival in Hawaii as well as solidifying tactics and relationships at the RIMPAC pre-briefs during the shore phase,” Lieutenant Brendan Howard said. “To see it all come together like clockwork, according to plan, was very satisfying for the entire crew.”
Howard served as Sydney’s principal warfare officer and led the firing serial. The operation involved coordination between the Australian warship, two MH-60R helicopters and multinational forces.
“Sydney’s motto is ‘Thorough and Ready’, and the crew have demonstrated that today with continued collaboration with our allies and partners throughout the live-firing event,” Commander Hayden Jenkins said. Jenkins described the firing as a demonstration of the ship’s enhanced lethality.
“The Naval Strike Missile provides Sydney with a powerful maritime strike capability,” Jenkins said. “This live-firing demonstrates the lethality of the ship as well as the professionalism and competence of the crew.”
“I thank all of Sydney’s crew for their dedication and hard work to achieve this outcome,” Jenkins said. “This live-firing is just one example of the success that is being achieved each day by a highly trained and proficient team.”
“It is very rewarding to see the professional pride and enthusiasm of the many young Australians working in Sydney as they highlight their skill sets and professionalism in front of the 31 nations represented here at RIMPAC,” Jenkins said. The event formed part of the wider multinational training program conducted during RIMPAC.
