SEVENTY-TWO years after Japanese submarines attacked Sydney Harbour, the next generation of Australian submariners will be put to sea in boats made in Japan. 
 
In one of the biggest and most contentious defence equipment decisions in decades, the Abbott Government will select the Japanese-built Soryu Class submarine to replace locally built Collins Class boats as the navy’s key strike weapon beyond 2030.

A decision to spend more than $20 billion on up to 10 of the Japanese vessels will be announced before the end of the year.

That is six months ahead of the release date for the Abbott Government’s first Defence White Paper.

The decision is being fast-tracked due to growing concerns about the massive cost of maintaining the Collins boats beyond their use-by-date of 2026. Some estimates put that cost at more than $2 billion.

“The Government cannot afford a submarine capability gap and every day past 2026/27 when Collins class is due to begin decommissioning, adds days of risk,’’ a senior defence source said.

The 4200-tonne Soryu Class boat carries a crew of 65 and is powered by an air-independent propulsion system that allows it to remain submerged for much longer periods that other conventionally powered submarines.

Range has been a major factor against the design — the Soryu has a range of about 11,000 km at 12 km/hr compared with 22,000 km at 19 km/hr for the Collins Class - but it is understood that one option under consideration is to provide submarine basing facilities in Northern Australia (Darwin) to cut the transit distances to the boats’ patrol areas by thousands of kms.

The purchase price for the Japanese built boats would be about half the price of an Australian option.

German builder TKMS told a conference earlier this year that it could build 12 submarines for $20 billion.

Both German and French submarines remain in the running, but senior sources told News Corp Australia that the Japanese option was clear favourite.

The decision will anger government owned South Australian shipbuilder ASC and the SA Government and it finally breaks the government’s election promise to “build 12 submarines in Adelaide”.

“It is ludicrous to think we can design a submarine — nobody believes that,” one insider said.

Given that the Collins fleet will not reach its availability benchmark (the amount of time a vessel is available for service) until 2016 (20 years after entering service) the government does not want to risk a submarine capability gap.

ASC will remain the centre of submarine sustainability and will play a key role in the future frigate project with work estimated at $1 billion a year flowing to South Australia by 2023.

However the yard’s woeful performance on the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) project ($600 million over budget and three years late) has left the government with little option but to look elsewhere for a new submarine.

“With a record like that is anyone seriously thinking we should proceed and build a fleet of future submarines in the same shipyard?” a government source said.

News Corp can also reveal that when the Commonwealth signed up to the AWD contract, it was informed by Treasury that it would incur a premium of $1 billion.

According to government auditors the premium for local production is about 30 per cent or $15 billion for a locally built submarine. That is the entire cost of the Joint Strike Fighter project.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/new-japanese-submarines-to-cost-a...

Labor left our defence wanting for five months!

AUSTRALIA’S national defence was left dangerously exposed for five months between October 2009 and February 2010 when not a single Collins Class submarine was able to be put to sea. 
 
Defence Minister David Johnston revealed the serious lapse in national security under the Labor Government at a submarine conference in Canberra today.

“We were in a very dire and a very dark place,’’ Senator Johnston said.

Submarines are the government’s most important tactical and strategic military assets and the minister assured his audience of submariners, bureaucrats and industry types that such a capability gap would never be allowed under his watch.

He also revealed that by December 2012 the fleet had recovered to 60 per cent availability and that it was now running at 90 per cent.

Senator Johnston reiterated the government’s preference for constructing the new generation submarines in Adelaide, but not at any cost.

“We have also committed to ensure that work in Australia on the replacement of the current submarine fleet will be centred around the South Australian shipyards. As a Government we want to give Australian industry every chance of success,’’ he said.

“Industry must demonstrate an ongoing capacity to meet international benchmarks with respect to productivity, cost and schedule.’’

The minister also dismissed the previous government’s figure of 12 boats to replace the six Collins Class vessels.

”It may well be that we have more than 12 submarines,’’ Senator Johnston said.

“What I am looking at is ... a long-term commitment out 20-30 years where we learn the lessons of submarine construction. Don’t think about numbers, think about a long-term enterprise.’’

He did not rule out the option of possibly buying submarines or submarine technology, such as air independent propulsion systems, from Japan which is the only country building the type of boat required by the Royal Australian Navy.

The 4200-tonne Japanese Soryu Class vessels are the most capable diesel/electric vessels in the world.

Discussions with the Japanese are well advanced, but Senator Johnston refused to elaborate saying they were “commercial in confidence’’.

Even if a decision is taken by mid-2015 a new class of submarine would be more than 15 years beyond that.

To that end the government will extend the life of the Collins fleet by an extra six years.

Senator Johnston said the government’s new Defence White Paper due next April would be about “money, funding and credibility’’ and would include a detailed timeline for the new submarines.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/collins-class-submarines-put-aust...

It will be interestin  to see if the US of A will allow their fire control and weapons systems to be installed in these

Yup, better to buy Jap subs, see more unionised manufacturing jobs go. Soon—no more unions!

St George of the Garden wrote on Sep 8^th, 2014 at 8:27am:


“It is ludicrous to think we can design a submarine — nobody believes that,” one insider said. - from the OP.

Even if they could design it, union labour would ensure that it would be late and waaaaaayyyy over cost...

Vic wrote on Sep 8^th, 2014 at 8:23am:


If we installed that then why not? The Japs won't be using our subs if they build them, we will be using them.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Sep 8^th, 2014 at 9:13am:


The americans are very tight about giving their technology away.  It took a lot of negoitation and rigour to get the AEGIS on the Spanish design AWD.    Same as the Fire Control and Torpedo on the Collins, they are very protective of their IP

Vic wrote on Sep 8^th, 2014 at 9:45am:


His name is Matt. Was based in WA. That help?