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The
first Collins Class submarine, HMAS Collins, was commissioned in July
1996. The sixth and last of the Collins Class, HMAS Rankin, was commissioned
in March 2003. The Collins Class was designed with a theoretical platform
life of 28 years, which provides for an on paper indicative service
life for the fleet of 2024 to 2031.
A Service Life Evaluation Program was undertaken by Defence in 2012
to identify any issues that would prevent the Collins Class from achieving
their indicative service life. The study also considered the possibility
of a service life extension for the Collins fleet.
The study found there is no single technical issue that would fundamentally
prevent the Collins Class submarines from achieving their indicative
service life or a service life extension of one operating cycle for
the fleet, which is currently around seven years, excluding docking
periods. Based on the commissioning dates of the submarines, this provides
an indicative service life of the fleet of 2031 to 2038.
Combined Pass approval for Collins Obsolescence Management
In this context, Ministers Smith and Kelly today announced that the
Government has provided Combined Pass approval for the first stage of
SEA 1439 Phase 3.1 Collins Obsolescence Management to resolve obsolescence
in the Integrated Ship Control Management and Monitoring System in the
Collins Class submarine fleet.
The Integrated Ship Control Management and Monitoring System was designed
in the 1980s to control, manage and monitor essential Collins Class
submarine functions such as manoeuvring, power and life-support.
It is a highly automated computerised system which enables the crew
of the Collins Class to control, monitor and manage the large number
of diverse and complex systems on board the submarines.
The Integrated Ship Control Management and Monitoring System has performed
effectively and reliably since the Collins class entered service in
the 1990s. However, it is essential to ensure the system can be maintained
for the remaining indicative extended service life of the Collins Class
fleet.
The Government has approved ASC Pty Ltd to work with Saab Systems in
the first instance to engineer replacements for obsolescent system components
and update and test the system in on-shore test facilities and subsequently
one Collins Class submarine.
This first stage work is valued at around $65 million and will be conducted
at ASC Pty Ltd in Adelaide in South Australia.
The Government has also given approval for Defence to plan for the second
stage of the project to update the system in the remaining five Collins
Class submarines once installation and testing in the first submarine
has been completed. Government consideration of the second stage is
scheduled for 2017.
Major reform to the maintenance of Collins Class Submarines: Implementation
of Coles Review Full Cycle Docking Period to Two Years
Ministers Smith and Kelly today also announced a major reform in the
maintenance of the Collins Class submarine fleet, to improve submarine
availability across the fleet of six submarines by reducing the planned
full cycle docking period for each submarine from three years to two
years.
This reform is part of the extensive transformation program being implemented
in the Collins Class submarine fleet maintenance and sustainment following
the Study into the Business of Sustaining Australia’s Strategic
Collins Class Submarine Capability, led by Mr John Coles (the Coles
Review).
Implementation of the Coles Review recommendations will improve Collins
Class availability through a variety of mechanisms including the delivery
of more efficient logistic support arrangements, implementation of performance
based maintenance contracts with defence industry, and development of
a revised approach to the programming of planned maintenance and usage.
A key recommendation of the Coles Review was that a reduction in the
duration of planned maintenance for the Collins class would make the
largest single contribution to a higher level of submarine availability.
Under the current Collins maintenance cycle, each submarine operates
in-service for eight years (including intermediate dockings) followed
by a planned three year full cycle docking. The in-service period is
punctuated by shorter intermediate duration dockings and maintenance
periods alongside.
This means that two submarines are in full cycle docking at any one
time, with, in general terms, one and sometimes two in shorter dockings
and maintenance. This means Defence can currently plan on having two
and sometimes three submarines available to the Fleet Commander for
tasking at any one time.
The Coles Review proposed transition to a ‘single stream full
cycle docking’ involving 10 years of in-service operation followed
by a two year full cycle docking.
While the new in-service 10-year period will include longer intermediate
docking periods to account for the reduction in full cycle docking duration,
the result would be a consistently higher level of availability overall,
extending the duration of operational periods.
Over the long term, the ‘single stream full cycle docking’
means that Defence can plan on having three and sometimes four submarines
available to the Fleet Commander for tasking at any one time from 2016-17.
ASC has proposed an immediate transition beginning with HMAS Farncomb
in mid-2014. ASC has assessed that the immediate transition proposal
lowers the risks associated with the progressive transition suggested
by the Coles Review, particularly risks related to funding requirements,
the time required to re-allocate labour, workscope adjustments, and
managing the overall program to deliver availability. The Government
has agreed to ASC’s recommendation.
Under the immediate transition, HMAS Collins, which is currently undergoing
pre-full cycle docking preparation in Adelaide, will remain in Adelaide
until completing full cycle docking in mid-2018. During this period,
all pre-full cycle docking preparation on HMAS Collins, including remediation
of a class-wide main motor defect, will be completed. HMAS Collins will
commence her two-year full cycle docking in 2016.
Defence will closely monitor ASC’s implementation of the new full
cycle docking maintenance regime and provide regular reports to Government
through the Minister for Defence and Minister for Finance.
Source: Australian Department of Defence |
