FuzziWuzzi
09-23-2003, 11:48 PM
http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/sixtyminutes/images/story_pics/2000_07_30/sub_140.jpg
The Collins Class submarines were meant to give us a state-of-the-art submarine defence system. They haven't. So far Australia has spent $5 billion and what we have is six subs that barely work.
In this hard-hitting report Ellen Fanning looks at what went wrong and what it will cost to get it right. She went on manoeuvres in a Collins Class sub to get first-hand experience of the problems.
During a missile-firing exercise, the computer system malfunctioned and shut down the launch, leaving the frustrated captain to yell down the intercom, "this heap of s...". In wartime, the sub would be left defenceless. :lol:
As Ellen reports, the good news is that most of the problems are fixable. The bad news is that, depending on who you speak to, the "fixing" will cost between one and two billion additional dollars of taxpayers' money.
http://news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,3600,288048,00.jpg
Collins subs a lethal force
By Ian McPhedran, defence reporter
September 24, 2003
THE navy's troubled Collins class submarines have "sunk" the pride of the US nuclear sub fleet and warships from Singapore, and are now regarded as a lethal undersea force.
Americans were shocked by the Collins class submarines' performance.
At certain speeds they are virtually undetectable, according to the commander of the Submarine Group, Commodore Mike Deeks. "The Americans expect to hear us easily but we're not there," Commodore Deeks said. "It is hard for them to find us, but meanwhile, we have already found them."
The boats are still troubled by an unreliable combat system, but during a recent exercise against a US nuclear boat off WA and warships from Singapore off northern Australia, they were deadly.
They have been plagued by mechanical, structural, system and noise problems, but the crews have adapted and turned them into a deadly force.
According to one observer HMAS Rankin "sank" a Singaporean ship fitted with some of the most advanced anti-submarine warfare equipment.
And in the underwater exercise the Americans were shocked by its performance.
"We surprise them and they learn a lot about different ways of operating submarines," Commodore Deeks said. "The Americans pour billions into their subs but we are better at practical applications."
During the exercise, at a special undersea range off the WA coast, the Collins submarine was invisible to the Americans, who were caught off guard on several occasions.
The US boat was "sunk" by practice torpedoes fired by HMAS Waller.
The torpedoes, with dummy warheads and in built safety systems, pass over or under the "enemy" vessel and record a "hit" when they are later recovered on the surface.
Noise is crucial in undersea warfare and the early noise problems of the Collins boats have been fixed and crews know exactly how to operate the boats in near total silence.
"We are a lot better at avoiding noise and we know exactly what speed to make them a black hole in the water," Commodore Deeks said.
Stealth and an ability to operate in shallow water make the Collins fleet an ideal partner for the larger and faster deep water US nuclear boats.
The Collins boats will be fitted with a new combat system progressively from 2006.
"We are looking forward to it being fitted and it will be a nice improvement," Commodore Deeks said.
Despite the good news a question mark remains over the fate of the first boat, HMAS Collins, which has thousands of weld defects because of poor Swedish workmanship.
Those problems, plus some intellectual property issues, must be resolved before the Adelaide-based Australian Submarine Corporation can be sold.
Herald Sun
...and the final evaluation of our collins sub fleet goes to one of it's captains....
""this heap of s...". rofl p-)
The Collins Class submarines were meant to give us a state-of-the-art submarine defence system. They haven't. So far Australia has spent $5 billion and what we have is six subs that barely work.
In this hard-hitting report Ellen Fanning looks at what went wrong and what it will cost to get it right. She went on manoeuvres in a Collins Class sub to get first-hand experience of the problems.
During a missile-firing exercise, the computer system malfunctioned and shut down the launch, leaving the frustrated captain to yell down the intercom, "this heap of s...". In wartime, the sub would be left defenceless. :lol:
As Ellen reports, the good news is that most of the problems are fixable. The bad news is that, depending on who you speak to, the "fixing" will cost between one and two billion additional dollars of taxpayers' money.
http://news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,3600,288048,00.jpg
Collins subs a lethal force
By Ian McPhedran, defence reporter
September 24, 2003
THE navy's troubled Collins class submarines have "sunk" the pride of the US nuclear sub fleet and warships from Singapore, and are now regarded as a lethal undersea force.
Americans were shocked by the Collins class submarines' performance.
At certain speeds they are virtually undetectable, according to the commander of the Submarine Group, Commodore Mike Deeks. "The Americans expect to hear us easily but we're not there," Commodore Deeks said. "It is hard for them to find us, but meanwhile, we have already found them."
The boats are still troubled by an unreliable combat system, but during a recent exercise against a US nuclear boat off WA and warships from Singapore off northern Australia, they were deadly.
They have been plagued by mechanical, structural, system and noise problems, but the crews have adapted and turned them into a deadly force.
According to one observer HMAS Rankin "sank" a Singaporean ship fitted with some of the most advanced anti-submarine warfare equipment.
And in the underwater exercise the Americans were shocked by its performance.
"We surprise them and they learn a lot about different ways of operating submarines," Commodore Deeks said. "The Americans pour billions into their subs but we are better at practical applications."
During the exercise, at a special undersea range off the WA coast, the Collins submarine was invisible to the Americans, who were caught off guard on several occasions.
The US boat was "sunk" by practice torpedoes fired by HMAS Waller.
The torpedoes, with dummy warheads and in built safety systems, pass over or under the "enemy" vessel and record a "hit" when they are later recovered on the surface.
Noise is crucial in undersea warfare and the early noise problems of the Collins boats have been fixed and crews know exactly how to operate the boats in near total silence.
"We are a lot better at avoiding noise and we know exactly what speed to make them a black hole in the water," Commodore Deeks said.
Stealth and an ability to operate in shallow water make the Collins fleet an ideal partner for the larger and faster deep water US nuclear boats.
The Collins boats will be fitted with a new combat system progressively from 2006.
"We are looking forward to it being fitted and it will be a nice improvement," Commodore Deeks said.
Despite the good news a question mark remains over the fate of the first boat, HMAS Collins, which has thousands of weld defects because of poor Swedish workmanship.
Those problems, plus some intellectual property issues, must be resolved before the Adelaide-based Australian Submarine Corporation can be sold.
Herald Sun
...and the final evaluation of our collins sub fleet goes to one of it's captains....
""this heap of s...". rofl p-)