By
LS Rachel Irving
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One
of the six Collins Class submarines, HMAS Rankin, draws
a clean line in waters off Fleet Base West.
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The
Australian Submarine Corporation has been awarded a contract worth
up to $3.5 billion to refit the six Collins class submarines over
the next 25 years.
Each of the submarines will be refitted in a 12-month cycle at
ASC Adelaide at the cost of approximately $80 million each.
The refits will occur every seven years of their 28-year lives.
Minister for Defence Senator Robert Hill and Minister for Finance
and Administration Senator Nick Minchin announced the agreement
last month.
The initial duration of the agreement with ASC and the Defence
Materiel Organisation is for 15 years with the option to extend
it for a further 10 years.
The total of the contract includes full cycle dockings in Adelaide,
maintenance activities including mid-cycle dockings and other
contractor work to be carried out in both South and Western Australia.
HMAS Waller will be the first boat to be refitted under the new
contract, her refit expected to commence late next year.
The Australian subs, the most capable conventional boats in the
world, will be fitted with a new Raytheon combat system and in
the future a new heavy weight torpedo to be used by both the US
and Australia, as well as an upgraded sonar system.
