_departs_Joint_Base_Pearl_Harbor-Hickam_to_support_Rim_of_the_Pacific_(RIMPAC)_2010_exercises.jpg/800px-US_Navy_100707-N-0641S-247_HMAS_Warramunga_(FFH_152)_departs_Joint_Base_Pearl_Harbor-Hickam_to_support_Rim_of_the_Pacific_(RIMPAC)_2010_exercises.jpg)
CANBERRA, Australia, July 28(UPI)
BAE Systems in the United States has delivered to Australia three main gun mounts for the country's Air Warfare Destroyer program.
The gun mounts are valued at $88 million and will be placed into a controlled storage facility in Adelaide until they are installed on the destroyers Hobart, Brisbane and Sydney.
"The guns will be able to hit targets on land, air and at sea," said Minister for Defense Materiel Jason Clare. "They are capable of firing both Australian navy standard munitions and future extended range munitions."
Similar gun mounts are installed on the Australian navy's ANZAC Class frigates, the U.S. Navy's Arleigh Burke class destroyers, the Spanish F-100 frigates and on ships within the South Korean, Japanese and Danish navies.
Australian officials said more than 1,000 people are working on the construction of the ships across three shipyards in Australia.
"This is an important project for the Australian military," Clare said. "These destroyers will be among the most advanced and capable warships in the world."
/fdata%2F4220908%2Favatar-blog-1207340840-tmpphpbvDubc.jpeg){kind=avatar}
