 |
|
|
The Collins Class of submarines, developed from Swedish Navy blueprints, have been designed to be as quiet as advanced technology can achieve. Their operational characteristics and range have been tailored specifically for a defence and two-ocean surveillance role in the Royal Australian Navy.
One of the first class of submarines to be totally designed by computers, HMAS Collins boasts a vast array of features including a high-performance hull form, highly automated controls, low indiscretion rates, high shock resistance, optimal noise suppression, efficient weapons handling and discharge.
A Collins Class submarine is a very good example of a hybrid vehicle. It runs 3 diesel engines and 3 electric generators used to charge a large bank of batteries. These batteries or the generators themselves power the electric motors which drive the propellers. The sub must surface (or cruise just below the surface at periscope depth using an induction mast) to run the diesel engines. Once the batteries are fully charged, the submarine can head underwater or proceed ‘deep’. The batteries power the electric motors driving the propellers whilst underwater.
A Collins Class submarine can dive to depths in excess of 180 metres and can travel at speeds greater than 20 knots when submerged. It can travel these distances quickly and quietly. The single propeller submarine moves silently on electric power supplied to the propulsion motor by banks of batteries. The batteries are recharged by three diesel generator sets.
The Collins Class submarine operates the Mk48 torpedo and Harpoon Anti-Ship missiles which are launched while the submarine remains submerged. They are large and modern weapons capable of completely disabling a large ship with a single hit and are deployed by the vessel's Combat System Operators.
The Collins Class submarines are extremely sophisticated, deep diving, and high-speed submarines, capable of fulfilling a range of maritime military tasks, which strategists of the past could only dream of. With their stealth, powerful sensors and the ability to loiter in an opponent's operating areas for weeks on end, they are the most capable anti-submarine platform in the Australian Defence Force, with the ability to neutralise submarine threats thousands of miles from any Australian base.
The Australian Submarine Rescue Vehicle (ASRV) REMORA is a 16.5 tonne machine built about a diving bell. It can rescue six people at once, as well as holding the operator or attendant. It is capable of operations in excess of 500m in a current of 3 knots and of mating to a sunken submarine lying at angles of up to 60° from the vertical.
The vehicle is powered and controlled by use of a 914m armoured electro-fibre optic umbilical which provides power to two 75hp hydraulic power units. It also passes sonar, communications and video data to a containerised Control Van aboard the rescue ship.
The entire suite is either housed in ISO containers or is packed to permit carriage by C-130 Hercules aircraft, road, rail or sea. It is maintained ready to deploy within 12 hours of the alert being raised and can be anywhere in Australia within 36 hours. The suite can be deployed onboard a ship within a further 24 hours and the ship should be ready to sail 72 hours after callout.
Play Video
Defence
Technical Scholarships
The
Real Sea Patrol
Defence Jobs TV
Overseas
Applicants