Posted on 03/01/2016 5:47:46 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
The navy is planning to keep all six of its Collins-class submarines in operation until enough new boats are ready to replace them, well into the 2030s.
Close to $2 billion has been allocated for upgrade work.
Two of the older Collins boats will require overhauls to extend their lives and the others will be modernised progressively to ensure they can match other submarines in the region.
Australian Defence Force chief Mark Binskin told The Australian extra time was needed because the process of selecting, designing and building the new submarines could not be rushed and to ensure that Australia was protected by the best possible boats available for many decades into the future.
The first of the six Collins boats was due to be decommissioned by 2026, and the first of the new boats may not be commissioned until the early 2030s. The last Collins was due to be decommissioned in about 2036.
Air Chief Marshal Binskin said communications systems, sensors and weapons systems on the Collins submarines would be upgraded to ensure they could compete with the increasing numbers of new submarines being brought into the region. He said it had been intended to retire the first of the Collins in 2025-26 but that was no longer feasible.
“We’re not going to retire them and then have no boats, or reduced boats, in the water. The upgrades are needed to ensure the Collins keeps its capability edge on potential adversaries.”
It is expected that by 2030 there will be close to 300 submarines in the Asia-Pacific region. As many as 80 will belong to China.
Indonesia will have three new South Korean-built boats based on a German design and it may also buy three Russian Kilo-class submarines.
(Excerpt) Read more at theaustralian.com.au ...
I could never do submarine duty. Just being on a Coast Guard cutter for a few weeks at a shot was enough deprivation from civilization (read;bars!) was enough for me.
Too bad we can’t just transfer them some 688 boats.
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