Only One of Australia’s Six Collins-Class Submarines Currently Operational

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Currently, only one of the Australian Navy’s Collins-class submarines is reported to be operational, while five others are docked for maintenance.

The Royal Australian Navy has a fleet of six Collins-class submarines; however, it is reportedly struggling with serious operational issues due to aging equipment, which has led to extended maintenance periods for most of its submarines.

The Navy began phased operations of the Collins-class submarines in 1996, but severe corrosion issues have necessitated prolonged maintenance work.

Australian media sources report that two of the submarines are docked at Osborne in Adelaide, where full-cycle docking maintenance is experiencing delays due to industrial actions.

Meanwhile, three other Collins-class submarines are stationed at Garden Island.

In response to the media reports, the Australian Defence Force refuted claims that only one Collins-class submarine is currently operational, while five others are undergoing maintenance.

“The Australian Defence Force strictly adheres to government directives regarding Collins-class submarine operational levels and maintains more than one submarine for operational needs,” a spokesperson said.

“For security reasons, the ADF cannot disclose specific locations or which submarines are operational,” the spokesperson added.

In June, Australian media reported that three of the Navy’s six Collins-class submarines would be unavailable for operations throughout the year due to severe corrosion issues detected on key vessels.

Officials from ASC (formerly the Australian Submarine Corporation) confirmed that three submarines are undergoing urgent maintenance.

ASC CEO Stuart Whiley, during a briefing to the Senate, revealed that engineers discovered significant corrosion damage on the Collins-class submarine HMAS Sheean during its docked maintenance.

The severe corrosion found necessitated extended maintenance, expected to last until the end of the year.

“The delays in maintenance are due to efforts to restore the submarine’s hull from various issues,” he explained, noting that the corrosion repairs are being conducted in challenging areas.

While maintenance on the corroded HMAS Sheean was underway at the Osborne Shipyard in Adelaide, similar issues were detected on another submarine, HMAS Farncomb, docked at Henderson Shipyard in Western Australia.

Concurrently, another submarine, HMAS Rankin, is also in maintenance at Osborne, marking the first time since 2012 that three Collins-class submarines have been out of service simultaneously.

Australia is expected to continue operating the Collins-class submarines until the mid-2030s, when they will gradually be replaced by second-hand Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the United States under the AUKUS security pact (Australia, United Kingdom, United States).

In a bid to defend the nuclear submarine acquisition under AUKUS, Australia’s Defence Force Chief General Angus Campbell described the Navy’s Collins-class submarines as “the worst submarines on the planet” in May. — DSA