hidden assets

contents

4 evolution of the submarine

8 submarines in australia

10 collins class project

14 collins class submarines

16 submarine construction

18 role of submarines

20 relative complexity of submarines

22 submarines of the future

3
evolution
While it is widely considered that William Borne designed the first submarine in 1578, it
was Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) who initially developed the idea of a militar y vessel
that could submerge under water to attack enemy ships. However, it wasn’t until 1776

of the submarine
that the first submarine to make an attack on an enemy ship was built. Named the Turtle,
it was designed by David Bushnell and was built with the intention of breaking the British
naval blockade in New York Harbor during the American Revolution. Operated by Sergeant
Ezra Lee, the Turtle made an unsuccessful attack on a British ship on 7 September 1776.

Several more submarines were attempted over the years, but it wasn’t until the
beginning of the 20th century that modern day submarine warfare was born. At the
start of World War I, submarines were still in their infancy. Considered to be
‘unethical’ and not fitting into the conventional rules of war, few foresaw the
watershed in naval warfare that submarines were to bring about. Once their true
capabilities were realised, submarines had a substantial impact on World War I:
sinking ships, laying mines, blockading ports and providing escorts to
trans-Atlantic convoys.

During World War II, submarine technology advanced significantly. The Germans,
who were operating U-Boats in the Atlantic Ocean, developed the ‘snorkel’
(allowing the boat to recharge its batteries while staying submerged). The
Japanese were the first nation to utilise the ‘midget subs’, most famously
when they launched their attack on Pearl Harbor (in the Pacific Ocean)
Main image:
in 1941. These submarines were also used to attack shipping in Sydney
Photo reproduced courtesy of the Royal Australian Navy.

Images left to right: Harbour on 31 May 1942.

1776 - The Turtle.

1863 - The Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley – credited with the first successful underwater attack.

1870 - The Intelligent Whale, bought by the United States Navy, was never put into service.
5
evolution
of the submarine continued
From 1945 to 1991, the Cold War dictated much of the advancement in military capabilities.
Many features of the German U-Boats were incorporated into future designs of the
allied forces. When the United States launched the first nuclear powered boat in 1955
(USS Nautilus), the submarine was transformed from a surface ship that could submerge
briefly, to a fully underwater vessel which could stay submerged for extended periods
of time.
During the Cold War, the United States’ strategy relied heavily on its ability to control
the seas. Apart from performing traditional roles, submarines were also capable of
launching ballistic missiles should the need arise. The United States was more dominant
in this underwater strategy than Russia, which proved vital in deterring the nuclear war
that had been a constant threat for more than forty years.
With the end of the Cold War, far fewer submarines were commissioned. In 2000, 47 nations
were operating more than 700 submarines – over 300 of which were nuclear-powered.
In 1982, British submarines played a significant role in defeating Argentina in the Falklands
War. During the conflict, HMS Conqueror sunk Argentina’s only cruiser, effectively ending
the threat of carrier and surface ships.
Main image: During the first Gulf War submarines were used to launch a number of Tomahawk missile
Photo reproduced courtesy of the Royal Australian Navy.
attacks, but during the second Gulf War the United States deployed far more submarines
Images left to right:
Circa 1902 - John Holland designed the United States Navy’s first
with greater capabilities. These were heavily involved in strike missions.
submarine which was purchased on 11 April 1900.
Electric Boat Corporation was established in 1899 to
The United States continued to build more advanced submarines, able to operate weapons
bring to completion the design of the submarine.
This is one of Holland’s designs. (Photo reproduced in any sea conditions: from under arctic ice to operating in shallow water.
courtesy of Electric Boat)
1911 - USS Seal designed by Simon Lake. Lake is credited as
In 2004, the United States commissioned the first Virginia Class attack submarine, designed
designing an escape trunk, conning tower, diving planes,
control room and a rotating, retractable periscope. specifically for littoral and estuarine waters. This submarine does not have a periscope,
1917 - The United States Navy’s L-Class were the first
but instead uses a high resolution digital camera. It is also capable of going to great depths,
submarines to introduce an air purification system.
getting in close to the shore in shallow water and launching unmanned submersibles. All of
1923 - Many attempts were made to create a submarine that
doubled as an aircraft carrier. This is the US S-1. these advancements have been designed with the added intention of fighting terrorism.
7
 The first Australian submarines, the AE1 and the AE2, were commissioned into the Royal
Australian Navy in 1914. They were deployed during World War I, but both were lost during
combat. The fate of the AE1 has never been determined. The AE2 was the first submarine

submarines in
to break through the Turkish defences before sustaining irreparable damage and sinking on
30 April 1915.

In 1919, six ‘J’ Class submarines were commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy. The

australia
second-hand boats, received from the Royal Navy, were in such bad condition that they were
immediately placed into refit once they reached Sydney. Even after extensive work, the boats
spent ver y little time in the water and, except for J7, all were decommissioned in 1924.

Under the Royal Australian Navy’s post World War I development program, two submarines
– HMAS Otway and HMAS Oxley – were ordered from the Royal Navy. They arrived in
Sydney in 1929, but due to maintenance problems and the depressed economy they were
returned to Britain in 1931.

During World War II, the Royal Australian Navy obtained an ex-Dutch
submarine K9, which was used for training purposes for surface ships in
submarine detection.

It wasn’t until four initial Oberon Class submarines were commissioned

(Above) The AE1, pictured here in the United Kingdom before being commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy.
The Oberon Class submarines (far left) were slowly phased out during the 1990s to make way for the
Collins Class submarines.
Photos reproduced courtesy of the Royal Australian Navy.
that Australia began to build a strong submarine fleet. While the Oberons
were not involved in any conflict while in ser vice, their presence was
invaluable to the Royal Australian Navy. They were built at Scotts
Shipbuilding at Greenock in Scotland with the first of the boats, HMAS
Oxley, commissioned in March 1967. This was followed by HMAS Otway,
in March 1968, HMAS Ovens, in April 1969 and HMAS Onslow, December
1969. Oxley’s arrival in Sydney coincided with the commissioning of the
submarine base HMAS Platypus, at Neutral Bay, Sydney. In 1977 and 1978
two more submarines were commissioned, HMAS Orion and HMAS Otama.
9
collins class
thecollinsclass
The Collins Class project was established by the Royal Australian Navy in 1982. The new
design was required to meet the unique needs of the Navy, which were dictated by, among

project
other things, Australia’s geographic location. The submarines would be required to travel
great distances, operate in varying environments, have state-of-the-art weapons systems
and perform traditional submarine functions using the most advanced technology available.
The submarines would also be required to protect Australia through their ver y existence,
acting as a deterrent to any enemy forces.

It was decided that large conventional submarines would be acquired. The Collins Class is
the second largest non-nuclear powered submarine in the world.

Construction of the first submarine was initially intended to be done overseas. However, the
Australian Government soon decided in order to promote the development of local industry,
all six should be constructed within Australia. The newly formed Australian Submarine
Corporation (ASC) then began the task of designing and building the most sophisticated,
conventional submarine in the world.

11
collins class project The names of the Collins Class submarines commemorate the memor y of six members
of the Royal Australian Navy who ser ved their countr y with distinction: Vice-Admiral

continued Sir John Collins KBE CB RAN, Rear-Admiral Harold Bruce Farncomb CB DSO MVO RAN,
Captain Hector McDonald Lewis Waller DSO RAN, Captain Emile Frank Verlaine Dechaineux
DSC RAN, Ordinar y Seaman Edward Sheean and Lieutenant Commander Robert ‘Oscar’
Rankin RAN. The latter four died while ser ving their countr y during World War II.
With no submarine building experience within the countr y, ASC had to source staff and
suppliers both locally and from overseas. Under the submarine build contract, overseas
Due to the high level of skills required to build and maintain such complex military systems,
suppliers were required to support a minimum of 70% Australian industr y content for
ASC employs over 200 engineering and technical specialists from all over the world,
the platform. At the conclusion of the project, ACS achieved 73.5% Australian content.
covering a broad range of disciplines.
Overall, of the $4.7 billion contract, $2.9 billion worth of work was undertaken
by subcontractors.
In 2003, ASC was awarded the 25 year, $3.5 billion Through-Life Support contract, for
maintenance and enhancement of the Collins Class over their lifespan.
The six-submarine class of HMAS Collins, HMAS Farncomb, HMAS Waller, HMAS Dechaineux, Main image:
Photo reproduced courtesy of the Royal Australian Navy.
HMAS Sheean and HMAS Rankin have all been delivered to the Roy al Australian Navy
Badges reproduced courtesy of the Royal Australian Navy. In 2004, ASC was formally recognised as the design authority for the Collins Class.
and are key elements of the Australian Defence Force, both as an intelligence-gathering
platform during peace time and as a forceful opponent during times of war.

HMAS Collins HMAS Farncomb HMAS Waller HMAS Dechaineux HMAS Sheean HMAS Rankin
Launched: 28 August 1993 Launched: 15 December 1995 Launched: 14 March 1997 Launched: 12 March 1998 Launched: 1 May 1999 Launched: 7 November 2001
Commissioned: July 1996 Commissioned: January 1998 Commissioned: February 2001 Commissioned: February 2001 Commissioned: November 2000 Commissioned: March 2003
13
collins class features
Diesel-electric propulsion
The Collins Class, developed from five generations of submarines designed and
built by Kockums for the Swedish Navy, have a diameter of approximately 8 metres

submarines
thecollinsclass %#--ASTS
)NDUCTION-AST
!TTACK0ERISCOPE

2ADAR#OMMS-ASTS

3EARCH0ERISCOPE
High capability batter y, long range and high endurance
High performance hull form, automated controls and exceptional
manoeuvrability
with a displacement of 3,000 tonnes. They are designed to be as near noiseless as
advanced technology can achieve. The control and monitoring of shipboard functions
are handled by the ship-wide integrated ship control, management and monitoring
High shock resistance, optimal noise suppression and low system. The system uses special and general purpose processors linked by two sets
%XHAUST0ORTS "RIDGE magnetic signature of redundant serial data buses. In addition, the system provides a high level of
State-of-the-art combat system automation, thus allowing the crew size to be significantly smaller than other
Efficient weapons handling and discharge systems conventional submarines.
)NDUCTION3YSTEM

4OWED!RRAY (0!IR"OTTLES 4OWED!RRAY$RUM 'ENERATORS %XHAUST-UFFLERS %SCAPE4OWER %XHAUST3YSTEM

5PPER!CCOMMODATION3PACE
The Collins Class’ manoeuvrability functions include four aft control surfaces
)NTERCEPT!RRAY
7EAPONS%MBARKATION(ATCH 4ORPEDO%QUIPMENT3PACE
individually actuated to provide superior manoeuvrability and inherent redundancy.
The submarines are deep diving and can travel at speeds greater than 20 knots
(submerged) and 10 knots (surfaced).

The submarines have six forward torpedo tubes and are able to carr y up to
22 torpedoes or anti-ship missiles, or up to 44 mines in place of torpedoes. They
are also able to employ sophisticated countermeasures which provide automatic
detection, direction finding and identification of radar signals. The Collins Class
&ORWARD"ATTERIES 7EAPONS3TOWAGE ,AUNCH4UBES &REE&LOOD3PACE
has some of the most technologically advanced sonar systems, decoy methods
&UEL4ANK 4UBE3PACE

-AIN-OTOR !FT"ATTERIES 0ROPULSION#ONTROL $IESEL%NGINES -AIN#OMPRESSION4ANK &UEL4ANK 'ALLEY #ONTROL#ENTRE and radars.
-AIN"ALLAST4ANKS ,OWER!CCOMMODATION3PACE
specifications
Length 78 metres
Diameter 8 metres
Displacement 3,000 tonnes
Propulsion Diesel-electric
Crew 42, including 6 officers and 36 submariners
Reproduced with permission from the Commonwealth of Australia (as represented by the Australian Department of Defence). Weapons Mk48 torpedoes and sub-harpoon missiles
15
submarine construction The Collins Class project required specification, integration and installation
of equipment and material from over 150 major contractors and hundreds
of smaller suppliers. Most modules of the submarines were constructed
off-site and then shipped to ASC for integration.

Key parameters for equipment included electrical power, cooling, noise,

shock resistance, weight and electromagnetic characteristics, all under
rigorous configuration management as data was distributed between the
various suppliers during the design phase.

Upper Accommodation
Diesel Space Platform
Generators Casings Fin
submarine outfitting statistics
Section Piping 23,500 metres
Section
200 Section 600
400 and 500 Main Motor Major cable lengths 7,000
Section
Domestic Services
500 Cable connections 200,000
Space Platform
Section 400
Section
Cable 75,000 metres
Electrical Equipment 200 Section 300 Batteries 400 tonnes
Space Platform Section 100
Section
100

Control Room / A completed submarine is a system of systems. A Collins Class submarine

Lower Accommodation
Platform contains 108 integrated systems which are linked structurally, mechanically,
electrically, hydraulically, pneumatically and electronically. All of these systems
need power and cooling and many need to communicate with each other in
order to achieve full operational capability.

17
role of submarines Submarines are the least visible of all military assets. While this makes them highly
secretive in nature, it also makes them highly valuable. They provide several different
functions to navies, many of which affect other militar y operations.

Designed to be virtually undetectable, submarines are able to patrol the world’s oceans
– even in hostile territor y. This allows them to gather intelligence, undertake sur veillance
and carr y out reconnaissance missions. They are able to monitor the air, land and sea
(both above the surface and below). Submarines act as force multipliers: forcing foreign
military to launch several vessels in response to even the threat of a single submarine.
1
3 During times of war, submarines are crucial in controlling the seas. They detect and destroy
hostile submarines and surface ships, blockade foreign ports and restrict ocean transport.
They provide intelligence and underwater protection for surface ships and are able to
detect and lay mines more efficiently than any other navy vessel. Submarines provide a
means to land Special Forces in hostile regions and, if fitted with suitable weapons, are
3 able to strike land targets.
4
While most commonly known for the role they play in navies, submarines are also used for a
variety of functions in the private sector. The most common are scientific submarines, which
explore the world’s oceans to further research and to locate sunken ships. Submarines can
also be used for tourism, while unmanned submarines (which are very small and operated
2
remotely from the surface) are used to perform work which is too deep or too dangerous
for divers, such as on an oil rig.

The role of submarines is varied, including: sur veillance (1), mine laying (2), locating and destroying hostile
surface ships (3) and landing Special Forces (4) (although not all roles are undertaken at the same time).
19
relative complexity
of submarines The Collins Class submarines are the most complex military vessel built in Australia to date.
The submarines are ten times more complicated than a frigate, even though both are
approximately 3,000 tonnes displacement. Over 33,000 drawings and 5000 work orders
were produced before the build process began, and once work started, each submarine took
2.5 million hours to assemble.

Platform Battle Tank Boeing Frigate Collins Class

Complexity Metrics 777 Submarine

Weight (tonnes) 30 250 3,600 3,000

Length (metres) 7 60 118 78

Number of systems 25 40 60 108

Number of suppliers 600 550 600 1,600

Crew size 4 10 163 43

Patrol duration (hours) 24 8-14 340 1,700

Number of parts to assemble 14,000 100,000 170,000 500,000

Number of person hours to assemble 5,500 50,000 1,200,000 2,500,000

Construction time (months) 7 14 22 60

Price (AUD $M) 4 300 600 1,000

Photos reproduced courtesy of the Royal Australian Navy.

21
submarines of Submarine technology is constantly evolving. Future advancements will allow
submarines of tomorrow to be far more efficient and effective warships. While

the future
designers are looking at ways to improve current models, entirely new concepts
are also being developed.

One of theses concepts is a miniature submarine which is remotely operated

and equipped with sensors such as the periscope and sonar system. This
miniature submarine will then feed information back to the ‘mothership’,
which can remain a safe distance away.

Other ideas include: ways to accommodate for a greater variety of weapons

used, sonar systems that allow the submarine to be further away from its
target and air-independent propulsion which will allow submarines to stay
submerged for weeks at a time. Improvements to hull strength are also being
researched in order to develop a design that can withstand a direct hit from
today’s conventional weapons.

23
acknowledgements
www.navy.gov.au

Bill Hollas, DTO Manager, ASC

ASC Pty Ltd
Andrew Mangnoson, South Australian Maritime Museum
Mersey Road, Outer Harbor
Samantha McDonough, Australian Maritime Museum
South Australia 5018
Steve Middel, Electric Boat Corporation
Telephone: +61 8 8348 7000
Special thanks to the Royal Australian Navy photographic branch www.asc.com.au