The Hobart Class Destroyer is the centrepiece of the Royal Australian navy’s surface fleet. Borne amongst a troubled program which delivered the vessels several years late and billions of dollars over budget, the Air Warfare Destroyer program has spurred the largest reform in Australia’s naval industry since federation. Equipped with the AEGIS combat system, SPY-1D radar, an advanced sonar suite and a wide range of very capable weapons, the Hobart Class are the most capable major surface combatants the RAN has ever deployed. But what lessons have been learned from their troubled birth, and how will this affect the future of Australian naval power?