Raytheon Australia to provide Collins class submarine combat system support.

The Australian Government has signed a five-year contract with Raytheon Australia Pty Ltd to continue to invest in the capability of the Royal Australian Navy’s fleet of Collins class submarines.
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HMAS Collins was the first of the six Collins Class submarines to enter service in the Royal Australian Navy (Picture source: RAN)

The $322 million contract will provide in-service support for the Collins class submarine combat system during Australia’s transition to nuclear-powered submarines.

Deputy Secretary Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment, Mr Tony Dalton said the support would include a life-of-type extension – commencing in 2026, ongoing sustainment, and selected capability enhancements.

“The ongoing sustainment and upgrade of these boats will help maintain a capability advantage and ensure our fleet is ready to meet the challenges across our strategic environment,” Mr Dalton said.

“We are committed to working closely with industry to sustain our Collins class submarines, an important task that currently supports over 1600 jobs across South and West Australia.”

Raytheon Australia has been providing a range of support services for the Collins class submarine combat system since its introduction into service, developing a highly skilled local workforce of approximately 133 people across Australia.

This contract is part of the Government’s planned $200 billion investment in providing a secure, sustainable, competitive and continuous Australian naval shipbuilding and sustainment capability through the 2040s.

The Collins-class is a series of six Australian-built diesel-electric powered submarines in service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

The first Collins-class submarine was launched on 28 August 1993 and commissioned in Adelaide on 27 July 1996. The submarine has been developed from five generations of submarines designed and built by the Swedish Navy.

In September 2021, Australia scraped its French contract of Barracuda-class submarines to sign a new alliance with the United Kingdom and the United States called AUKUS, aiming to make the Royal Australian Navy's next submarine fleet nuclear-powered.

The agreement covers key areas such as artificial intelligence, cyber warfare, underwater capabilities, and long-range strike capabilities.

The Attack-class design was based on a conventional version of the Barracuda SSN (or Suffren-class), which is powered by a nuclear propulsion system using a new hybrid design that provides electric propulsion for economical cruise speeds and turbo-mechanical propulsion for higher speeds. The submarine can reach a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/f; 29 mph) with an unlimited range of 10 years. It has a crew of 60 people including 12 officers and 48 sailors.