Submarine Proliferation

Australia Current Capabilities

Capabilities | Import | Export

map The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) currently operates six ocean-going, diesel-electric Collins-class submarines, which are based at Fleet Base West, HMAS Stirling, south of Fremantle in Western Australia.

With significant natural resources within its 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone, and 99.9 percent of its bulk trade maritime, Australia is committed to securing the region's sea lines of communication. The RAN's mission, as part of the Australian Defence Forces, is to ensure that trade remains unimpeded and plays a vital role in promoting regional stability, since this is regarded as a prerequisite for the continued prosperity of the area and of Australia itself.[1] Most recently, RAN submarines provided reconnaissance during the landing of UN peacekeeping troops in East Timor. At the time, it was feared that Indonesia may deploy its two Type 209/1300 vessels to the area.[2]

Australia's submarine force also plays an integral part in the RAN's mission of sea denial to hostile forces by controlling focal points in the island groups to Australia's north.[3] More specifically, the six vessels are intended to provide a platform for covert surveillance reconnaissance and offensive operations against warships, submarines and merchant shipping as well as mining and special operations support.[4] A weapons handling system designed to be able to operate Tomahawk missiles may also indicate the submarines' potential future use as a land-attack platform.[5] However, no such missiles have been ordered to date.

Collins Class (Type 417)
Displacement, tons:	3,051 surfaced 3,353 submerged
Dimensions, ft (m):	255.2 x 25.6 x 23.0 (77.8 x 7.8 x 7.0)
Main machinery:	diesel-electric
Speed, knots:	10 surfaced 10 snorting 20 submerged
Range, miles:	11,500 at 10 knots, surfaced 9,000 at 10 knots, snorting 400 at 4 knots, submerged
Complement:	42 (6 officers)
Diving depth, ft (m):	984 (300)
Endurance:	Approximately 70 days
Weapons:	22 SSMs and torpedoes; six 21" (533 mm) tubes, all of which can launch SSMs; 44 mines in lieu of SSMs/torpedoes; weapons system can handle Tomahawk SLCMs

Sources:
"Collins class (SSK)," Submarines Australia, Jane’s Fighting Ships online edition, http://www.janes.com, 8 August 2003.
"'Collins' class," Submarine and submersible designs, Jane’s Underwater Warfare Systems online edition, http://www.janes.com, 19 May 2003.
A.W. Grazebrook, "Collins Class comes up down under," Jane's Navy International online edition, http://jni.janes.com, 1 January 1998.
A.W. Grazebrook, "Australian Naval programmes revisited," Naval Forces, 1998, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 28-33; in Proquest Information and Learning Company, http://proquest.umi.com.
"HMAS Ramkin," Royal Australian Navy Website, http://www.navy.gov.au/gallery/?c=9&id=299.

ACTIVE DUTY SUBMARINES

Name (Number)	Class	Base	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned
Collins (S601)	Collins	HMAS Stirling	ASC, Adelaide	February 1990	August 1993	July 1996
Farncomb (74)	Collins	HMAS Stirling	ASC, Adelaide	March 1991	December 1995	January 1998
Waller (75)	Collins	HMAS Stirling	ASC, Adelaide	March 1992	March 1997	January 1998
Dechaineux (76)	Collins	HMAS Stirling	ASC, Adelaide	March 93	March 1998	February 2003
Sheean (77)	Collins	HMAS Stirling	ASC, Adelaide	February 1994	May 1999	February 2003
Rankin (78)	Collins	HMAS Stirling	ASC, Adelaide	May 1995	November 2001	March 2003

[1] D.J. Shackleton, AO Vice Admiral, RAN Chief of Navy, "Plan Blue: Australia's Maritime Strategy," RAN Web Site, http://www.navy.gov.au.
[2] Derek Wollner, "Getting in early: lessons of the Collins submarine program for improved oversight of defence procurement," Research paper No. 3, 2001-2002, Information and Research Services, Department of the Parliamentary Library Web Site, http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rp/2001-02/02RP03.htm.
[3] Interview with Vice Admiral Don Chalmers, Chief of Navy, "Navies take up the challenge (I)," Naval Forces, 1998, Vol. 19, No. 5, pp. 50-57; in ProQuest Information and Learning Company, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb.
[4] "The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) today," Naval Forces, Supplement/Special Issue.2003; in ProQuest Information and Learning Company, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb.
[5] A.W. Grazebrook, "Australian Naval programmes revisited," Naval Forces, 1998, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 28-33; in ProQuest Information and Learning Company, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb

This material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2007 by MIIS.