Collins class submarine

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HMAS Rankin in 2007
Class overview
Builders: Australian Submarine Corporation
Operators: Naval flag of Australia Royal Australian Navy
Preceded by: Oberon-class
Succeeded by: Collins class submarine replacement project
Cost: A$ 1 billion
Built: 14 February 1990 - 7 November 2001
In service: 27 July 1996 - present
In commission: - 27 July 1996 - present
Completed: 6
Active: 6
General characteristics
Displacement: Surfaced: 3,051 tonnes
Submerged: 3,353 tonnes
Length: 77.8 metres
Beam: 7.8 metres
Draught: 6.8 metres
Propulsion:

1 × Jeumont Schneider main motor
7,050 hp (5.25 MW)
3 × Hedemora/Garden Island Type V18B/14 diesels
6,000 hp (4.42 MW)
3 × Jeaumont Schneider generators
5,630 hp (4.2 MW)
1 × shaft and a skew back propeller

1 × Mactaggart Scott dm 43006 hydraulic motor for emergency propulsion
Speed: Surfaced: 10+ knots (18.5 km/h)
Submerged: 20+ knots (37 km/h)
Range: 9,000 nm at 10 kt (snort)
11,500 nm at 10 kt (surfaced)
400 nm at 4 kt (submerged)
Complement: 45 (8 Officers)
Sensors and
processing systems:		 Thales underwater systems scylla bow sonar
Thales Underwater Systems GEC-Marconi Kariwara, Thomson Marconi Narama towed array or Allied Signal TB 23
Kelvin Hughes I-band navigation radar
Thales optronics CK043 search and CH093 attack periscopes
Anechoic tiles fitted
Armament: Boeing/Rockwell integrated system
McDonnell Douglas UGM-84 Harpoon
6 × 21 in (533 mm) tubes for sub harpoon and Gould Mark 48 torpedo - total of 22 carried
44 mines in lieu of torpedoes
Fitted for but not with Land Attack Cruise missiles with combat system AN/BYG 1

To be fitted :

US Mk 48 ADCAP
Combat System AN/BYG 1 based on Raytheon's CCS Mk 2

The Collins class submarines are the newest class of Australian submarines, built in Australia for the Royal Australian Navy. The class is made up of six vessels: Collins, Farncomb, Waller, Dechaineux, Sheean and Rankin; all six are based at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia. They were built by the Australian Submarine Corporation at Osborne, near Adelaide in South Australia. They replace much older Oberon class submarines in the Australian naval fleet.

Contents

[edit] Design and construction

Much of the technology and computer design expertise came from Kockums of Sweden[citation needed]. The bow and escape tunnel section of the first vessel were built in Sweden. The Collins class is a culmination of the Swedish Navy's five generations of non-nuclear submarine development. The Collins class submarine was designed to operate beyond the sub-littoral zone with the capability of surveillance and sea area denial.

[edit] Delays, cost overruns & problems

The Collins class submarine project experienced significant design and construction delays. These problems were due to developmental teething issues and the Australian shipyards inexperience, since these were the first submarines ever constructed in Australia. Advancement of computer technology during the 12 year development process meant the submarines' original computer control system quickly became severely dated. The need to replace the combat system became a serious and costly problem for the submarine project, the Australian Defence Force and the national government. Although originally a fixed-cost contract, because of later upgrade specifications, the submarines' total cost was put at more than AUD $6 billion as of 2000, compared to the AUD $3.9 billion stated in June 1987 when the project was started by then Prime Minister Bob Hawke's government[1].

[edit] McIntosh-Prescott report

The first boat, HMAS Collins was finally commissioned in July 1996, but the second, HMAS Farncomb, was not commissioned until 18 months later. By this point, the class' problems and schedule slippages had become severe. The problems were so serious and persistent that a major public report was commissioned by CSIRO head Malcolm Mcintosh and former BHP managing director John Prescott.

The McIntosh-Prescott report covered the initial shortcomings of the Collins-class subs, shortcomings so severe that the submarines were not considered fit for combat duty:

The essential and the visible problem with the Collins Class submarines is that they cannot perform at the levels required for military operations. The underlying cause is a myriad of design deficiencies and consequential operational limitations relating to the platform and combat system.[2]

The report went on to note that the vessels were noisy and thus vulnerable to attack, piping problems posed a serious hazard, their engines broke down regularly, a badly shaped hull and fin made too much disturbance when they moved at speed under water, the view from the periscope was blurry, the communications system was outdated, and the propellers were likely to crack.[3].

The piping problems were especially worrying, as the stainless steel-welded pipes used throughout the Collins class submarines could corrode and collapse in a deep dive, the reason that American submarine USS Thresher was lost at sea with all hands in 1963. The 1998 Australian Auditor-General's report first publicised the high risk posed by the faulty pipes and stated that the Federal Government would have to pay the costs of the correction, not the shipyards' owners. The Australian Navy later admitted that all of the suspect piping on the first submarine, HMAS Collins, was secretly replaced prior to the Auditor-General's report being made public.[4] The navy later stated that it has since had the piping refitted on the other 5 boats[citation needed].

The computer systems were similarly plagued and there was concern that they could never be made fully operational.[5] The McIntosh-Prescott went on to state that the billion-dollar combat system developed for the Collins class submarine did not work and should be scrapped.[6] The Australian Navy finally replaced the combat system for all 6 boats in 2005, by purchasing an off-the-shelf and tested computer system from General Dynamics/Raytheon collaboration.[7]

The diesel engines were initially unreliable and noisy, negative characteristics in a weapon system that relies upon stealth. With help from the US Navy, these problems were solved.[8]

The Collins class submarine project was one of the most complex industrial projects to have been undertaken in Australia. The 2004 Australian Broadcasting Corporation's production entitled 7 Wonders of the Australian Engineering World, presented the construction of the Collins-class submarine in the sixth episode.

[edit] Active Service

In 2002, it was reported that HMAS Sheean had "held its own" during two rigorous weeks of combat trials off Hawaii with the Los Angeles-class attack sub USS Olympia. The two subs swapped roles as hunter and prey and scored roughly equal numbers of hits. During its mock attacks on Olympia and on two US destroyers, Sheean fired 28 torpedoes. The chief-of-staff of the Australian Navy's submarine force reported that "a respectable percentage of shots Sheean fired at Olympia were hits that would have destroyed the powerful US vessel."[9] In the RIMPAC 02 exercises, playing a 'rogue' submarine Sheean penetrated the US Navy surface unit screen to ‘sink’ both the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa and dock landing ship USS Rushmore.[10]

However a year later, the ABC reported that "at least two of the Collins class submarines have welding problems in the bull nose joint in its hull". Former Australian Defence Minister John Moore agreed replying, "there are problems without a doubt with the welding, but if you spent enough money on it and replace enough of the welding, I think it will probably be highly serviceable."[11]

More trouble however followed, when in 2005, it was revealed that the maximum diving depth of the Collins class had been reduced following an incident in February 2003, when a seawater hose failed on HMAS Dechaineux, flooding the engine room and almost sinking the vessel.[12] The maximum depth remains classified. The government claims that the problems of the Collins class are now solved or on their way to resolution.

Jane's Fighting Ships and Australian Submarine Corporation's 2006 annual report states that HMAS Collins has been modified to support special forces operations.

Australian Defence Magazine has noted that the submarines are expected to be in service for 30 years, and that the on-going support and maintenance fees for all six submarines totals AUD $100 million annually.[13] As such, the survival of the Australian Submarine Corporation remains paramount to assist the Australian Navy in maintenance activities.

The project to replace the Collins class boats began in late 2007, though the first new submarine will not enter service until 2025. It is expected that the new design will be a larger and more capable version of the Collins class.

[edit] Power systems

The submarine's main propulsion is a single Jeaumont Schneider 5.4 megawatt electric motor driving a single shaft, 7 blade 4.22m diameter propeller. Electrical storage is fulfilled by lead-acid batteries produced in Adelaide by Pacific Marine Batteries Pty. Ltd. Main electric generation is by three Hedemora 18 cylinder four stroke turbo charged diesel engines coupled to three Jeaumont Schneider generators.

[edit] Armament

The submarine's armament is six forward facing 533mm torpedo tubes. The torpedo type in use by the RAN for the Collins class submarine is the Gould Mark 48 Mod 4 torpedo, which is a wire-guided torpedo with active/passive homing and a 267kg warhead. Range is purportedly 38km at 55 knots or 50km at 40 knots. The Collins class submarine is also capable of using the Boeing Sub-Harpoon anti ship missile. Total weapons capacity is 22 missiles and torpedoes or 44 mines.

In 2005, the Collins submarines underwent a major AUD $857 million capability boost[14], as integration & testing of the same tactical combat system present in the USA's most modern attack submarines commences. Weapon control development was changed to the AN/BYG-1 Combat Control System, which is also fitted to the newly developed SSN Virginia class submarine for the USN. The AN/BYG-1 is a derivative of the CCS Mk 2 combat system. The fitting of the AN/BYG-1 has gained the Collins class submarine the ability to support the Mark 48 ADCAP torpedo (provided by Raytheon), an upgrade that was due to enter service in 2006.[15] The current order of combat system upgrade is: HMAS Waller, HMAS Dechaineux, HMAS Collins, HMAS Farncomb, HMAS Sheean and HMAS Rankin[16].

[edit] Key dates

Name Pennant Laid down Launched Commissioned
HMAS Collins SSG 73 14 February 1990 28 August 1993 27 July 1996
HMAS Farncomb SSG 74 1 March 1991 15 December 1995 31 January 1998
HMAS Waller SSG 75 19 March 1992 14 March 1997 10 July 1999
HMAS Dechaineux SSG 76 4 March 1993 12 March 1998 24 February 2001
HMAS Sheean SSG 77 17 February 1994 3 May 1999 24 February 2001
HMAS Rankin SSG 78 12 May 1995 7 November 2001 26 March 2003

[edit] Origin of names

Each boat has been named after a distinguished former member of the RAN, some of whom have died for their country.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[edit] References

  1. ^ Subs Are Out Of Depth - Sun-Herald, February 20, 2000
  2. ^ Report to the Minister for Defence on the Collins Class Submarine and Related Matters - June 20, 1999
  3. ^ Report to the Minister for Defence on the Collins Class Submarine and Related Matters - June 20, 1999
  4. ^ Subs Are Out Of Depth - Sun-Herald, February 20, 2000
  5. ^ $500m To Save Our Subs - Minister Orders Project Overhaul - The Australian, July 2, 1999
  6. ^ Sub-Standard to Off The Shelf - The Australian, July 2, 1999
  7. ^ Australia's Collins Class Subs, Submariners On Track for Upgrades - November 15, 2005
  8. ^ Collins Class submarine war - ABC, July 12, 2001
  9. ^ Collins sub shines in US war game - The Sunday Age, October 13, 2002
  10. ^ Prawns, roo end RIMPAC 2002 at Pearl Harbor - Navy News
  11. ^ Collins Class nightmares continue - ABC, February 25, 2003
  12. ^ The Age, July 23, 2005
  13. ^ More problems with Collins class submarines - ABC, May 10, 2000
  14. ^ Australia's Collins Class Subs, Submariners On Track for Upgrades - November 15, 2005
  15. ^ PR Newswire, January 30, 2006
  16. ^ Royal Australian Navy website, March 2006
v • d • e
Submarines of the Royal Australian Navy
Collins class replacement
TBA
Collins class
Collins  · Farncomb  · Waller  · Dechaineux  · Sheean  · Rankin
Oberon class
Onslow  · Orion  · Otama  · Otway  · Ovens  · Oxley
Odin class
J class
J1  · J2  · J3  · J4  · J5  · J7
E class
AE1  · AE2
Other submarines
K9  · Remora
Bases and tenders