Australia’s Submarine History – AE1 & AE2 To Collins

Author

Smith, Peter

Subjects

Ship design and development

Tags

E class submarines, Oberon class submarine, submarine, submarine design, Collins class submarine

RAN Ships

HMAS Oxley I, HMAS Otway I, HMAS Orion, HMAS K9, HMAS Collins, HMAS Watson (base), HMAS Penguin (Shore Base - Balmoral), HMAS Penguin I, HMAS Oxley II, HMAS Stirling (Shore establishment), HMAS Ovens, HMAS Otama, HMAS Onslow, HMAS AE1, HMAS AE2

Publication

June 1993 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)

This was a cumbersome process, but the new modular concept is a far more efficient use of labour and resources.

HMAS COLLINS, the first of the new submarines, will be launched in August 1993. After harbour and contractor sea trials lasting around 15 months, Navy will take delivery of successive submarines at yearly intervals beginning in 1995. The RAN has already started conversion training for existing submarine crews who’ll have the demanding task of conducting the trials for the new class.

The boats will be home based at HMAS STIRLING in Western Australia with regular deployments providing a continued submarine presence on the eastern seaboard.

Collins Class Submarine

1. The propellor is skew back with a diameter of 4.22 metres.
2. The main motor is a Jeaumont Schneider water cooled DC motor with double armatures on the same rotor. It corresponds to two DC motors working independently of each other, and can be powered from either the main storage batteries or the diesel generators in an emergency.
3. The submarine will be fitted with main batteries built by Dunlop Pacific Batteries at Osborne, SA. There will be around 400 cells installed in each boat.
4. The Collins submarines are fitted with three main diesel engines. They’re a specially manufactured V form 18 cylinder model of the turbo-charged Hedemora B210 series engines. The engine was designed with maintenance in mind, with most items designed for easy access and removal when required. The submarines batteries are recharged by three Jeaumont Schneider 1400 kW 440 V DC generators.
5. The control room is the nerve centre of the submarine from which the command team exercises control of the boat’s sensors and weapons when dived. It houses the combat systems consoles, periscopes and the Ship Control Console (or driver’s seat).
6. Designed to operate with reduced crew numbers (42 as opposed to the Oberon’s 64).
7. The lower accommodation area is arranged in six bunk cabins, with each bunk having its own air conditioning and audio outlets and an innerspring mattress. The galley is around twice the size of the chef’s domain on the Oberon, with a microwave oven, dishwasher and adjacent cool room.
8. The fin houses the submarine sensors which include the attack and search periscopes, radar and ESM mast, and the `snort’ induction mast and exhaust.
9. The bridge, at the top front of the fin, is the position from which the Officer of the Watch controls the submarine on the surface.
10. The weapons stowage area houses the submarine’s main armaments: Mk 48 torpedoes and harpoon missiles.

The submarines are built of Bis alloy 690 steel produced by BHP Port Kembla and heat treated by Bisalloy Pty. Ltd., Unanderra, N.S.W.