Key Points and Summary – Australia’s Collins-class submarines may be few in number, but they’ve repeatedly punched far above their weight in high-end naval exercises.
-Once derided as noisy, unreliable, and plagued by design flaws, the homegrown diesel-electric boats went on to “sink” U.S. Los Angeles-class submarines, amphibious ships, and even a supercarrier in early-2000s war games.
PACIFIC OCEAN (May 30, 2023) The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) steams through the Pacific Ocean. Nimitz is in U.S. 7th Fleet conducting routine operations. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kenneth Lagadi)
-With long range, Harpoon missiles, heavyweight torpedoes, and excellent quieting on battery power, Collins-class subs have become a serious undersea threat.
-Despite a near-fatal flooding incident and lingering criticism, they now sit at the heart of Australia’s maritime strategy in an era of rising Chinese naval power.
How Australia’s Collins-Class Subs “Sank” a U.S. Carrier in War Games
You may not know much about Australia’s Collins-class submarines, but they are pound for pound some of the best diesel-electric boats in existence.
The Collins-class has enjoyed notional victories against American nuclear-powered submarines and even an aircraft carrier in naval exercises at the beginning of their service life. The Collins-class carries Harpoon anti-ship missiles and powerful torpedoes. The subs have an extended range of 11,500 nautical miles.
Did You Say an American Carrier Was ‘Eliminated’ In Drills?
In 2003, three Collins-class subs distinguished themselves in drills off the coast of Australia.
(Dec. 30, 2021) An F/A-18F Super Hornet, assigned to the “Bounty Hunters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 2, taxis on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), Dec. 30, 2021. Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability through alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jeff D. Kempton)
The three-week exercises were designed to train officers and crews with advanced undersea tactics, techniques, and procedures.
The Collins-class subs were up to the challenge. HMAS Waller stood out for its performance and “sank” an American Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine, plus one other U.S. Navy sub in separate exercises. HMAS Rankin was also along for the training. An American aircraft carrier also fell victim to the Waller in a simulated torpedo attack.
Australian Commodore Mike Deeks was enthused about his submarines’ performance. “At the end of the course, the Americans were wide-eyed,” Commodore Deeks said.
“They realized that another navy knows how to operate submarines and that the way the U.S. Navy does it is a good way but not the only way. They went away very impressed.”
Simulated Success from 2002 and 2001
In 2002, the Collins-class also astonished evaluators during drills.
The HMAS Sheean scored a notional “hit” against another Los Angeles-class sub in war games off the coast of Hawaii.
Los Angeles-class attack submarine. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The Collins-class “destroyed” a boat called the USS Olympia.
The previous year, the HMAS Waller “killed” two American amphibious assault ships.
The History of the Collins-class Has Not Been Completely Rosy
This was good news for the Collins-class as they had been severely criticized for being “noisy and vulnerable to attack,” according to the Age. The engines were believed to be glitchy and “the 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 outdated and the propellers were likely to crack.”
Those problems were largely resolved by 2002, and the Collins-class subs went on to participate in war games called Operation Tandem Thrust, as noted above.
The Collins boats are guided missile submarines (SSGs). The Collins-class program dates back to 1982, and the design was finalized in 1987. The Collins-class replaced the older Oberon-class subs that were in service between 1967 and 1978.
Los Angeles-Class Attack Submarine. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The HMAS Collins is the lead sub of the class and was introduced in 1996. There are a total of six subs in the class. Their hull is 255 feet long, and the beam is 25.5 feet wide. They displace 3,470 tons. The propulsion system is comprised of the Hedemora/Garden Island Type V18B/14 diesels. Top speed is 20 knots. There are 48 sailors on board.
The Collins-class carries several UGM-84C Harpoon anti-ship missiles, 22 Gould Mk 48 torpedoes, and can deploy 44 Stonefish Mark III sea mines.
Near Fatal Accident
Some Collins-Class subs have not been so fortunate.
The HMAS Dechaineux experienced an unfortunate incident in 2003. A seawater pipe broke off in Western Australia. The lower engine room was flooded. There were only seconds to spare before the entire sub could have been sent to the bottom. The crew was able to stop the leak, but the accident had the naysayers out again, claiming the Collins-class still had design and construction flaws.
Collins-class subs were produced with a Swedish design. Australia wanted to build the subs indigenously. The country produced all components – around 500,000 parts are onboard. The Collins-class has 7,000 major cable lengths and 200,000 cable connections. There were 150 defense contractors involved—each Collins-class sub cost around $1 billion.
The submarines were the first Australian boats to be assembled with computer-aided design.
The Subs Have Tremendous Upside
“[They] boast a vast range of features. They include a high-performance hull form, highly automated controls, low indiscretion rates, high shock resistance, efficient weapons handling, and an optional air-independent propulsion system. The submarines move silently on electric power supplied by banks of new-technology lead-acid batteries. The batteries are charged by three on-board diesel generator sets,” according to SubmarineInstitute.com.
In all, the Collins-class has been moderately successful. There were early problems, but it soon became a demanding customer during war games.
The sub became much stealthier over time. There was one close call during a deployment that had the critics out in force.
Still, the Collins-class is a testament to Australian engineers and designers who produced a truly homegrown modern submarine. Crew members have their work cut out for them, as China continues to grow even more stealthy diesel-electric and nuclear-powered boats.
Collins-class subs are key vessels for Australia’s maritime strategy of protecting the homeland and performing hunter-killer missions around the periphery of the country. There is much ocean to cover, and the subs have a decent range to conduct these missions.
Collins-Class Submarine from Australia.
They have enjoyed some early success against American subs and shipping. The key is to learn from lessons of the past and continue to run silent and deep, defeating all comers.
The Collins-class has now addressed the early criticism and has taken an important place in Australia’s grand strategy, which includes maritime excellence in undersea warfare.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
