Over the course of the twentieth century, the destroyer evolved into an essential element of the fleet, combining compactness, speed, and strength in a single general purpose warship. During the First and Second World Wars, destroyers were central to anti-submarine warfare and have remained so ever since.
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) currently has three Guided Missile Destroyers in service, the HMA Ships Brisbane, Hobart and Sydney. Each of these ships is based on the Navantia-designed F100 frigate and fitted with the Aegis Combat System. They displace 7000 tonnes and measure roughly 150 metres long.
True to their multi-purpose lineage, the Hobart Class provides air defence for accompanying ships, while also conducting a variety of other tasks. Each Hobart Class destroyer carries a helicopter for surveillance and response and includes long-range anti-ship missiles and naval guns that provide a surface warfare function and support to land forces. Undersea warfare is achieved with sonar systems, decoys, torpedos and an array of effective close-in defensive weapons.