By: bogarde73
5/11/2009
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New subs to replace Collins Class fleet
By Timothy McDonald for AM
Posted 1 hour 57 minutes ago
Updated 1 hour 56 minutes ago
Collins Class replacement: It's estimated it could cost more than $36 billion. (www.defence.gov.au)
Related Story: Submarine fleet a major concern, Faulkner admits The Government has announced plans to replace the much-maligned fleet of Collins Class submarines.
It is the biggest defence procurement project Australia has ever seen and even before any contracts have been drawn up, the Government concedes it faces huge challenges.
The fleet will be replaced with 12 new submarines and the Opposition wonders if the plan is realistic, given the Navy currently has trouble keeping more than two Collins Class submarines in the water at a time.
The Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, Greg Combet, is under no illusions about just how complicated a submarine can be.
"For example, each Collins Class sub has over 3,800,000 parts to it, 75 kilometres of cable," he said.
And therein lies the difficulty, such sophisticated machinery is hugely expensive, difficult to crew, and equally difficult to maintain.
Mr Combet has told the Sydney Institute he is aware the proposal for 12 new subs will be a big ask.
"The future submarine project is itself, perhaps I think, fair to say, at the margins of our present scientific and technological capacity," he said.
"This project, the development of the next generation submarines for the Australian Defence Force for the Navy, will require every bit of scientific, technological and industrial capacity that this country can muster."
But he says the Collins Class subs are worth all the headaches, and their proposed replacements will be essential to Australia's defence.
"Put simply, we need to be able to take warfare to an adversary's front door and submarines are a very important mechanism to achieve that," he said.
The Opposition wonders if the proposal ... |
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By: bogarde73
5/11/2009
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The Opposition wonders if the proposal is overly ambitious and says the Government is yet to justify doubling the current fleet.
Defence materiel spokesman Bob Baldwin says if the Navy can currently only put two submarines to sea at a time, then there must be serious questions about its ability to maintain 12.
"If we can't as a nation establish and maintain more than two submarines at any one time what's going to occur is this Government will go on an expensive folly where we have submarines tied up at the dock and very few put to sea," he said.
Sean Costello, a former Collins Class Officer, a defence consultant and co-author of a recent report on the new submarines by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, agrees a lot needs to change if the submarines are to be delivered.
"Our Navy is presently dissatisfied with the level of availability of submarines and that's having all sorts of flow-throughs for our Navy people and our ability to keep our submarines at the front of their operational capability," he said.
"So we shouldn't think that we are the world's best at this, we have some serious shortfalls. At least we recognise we have those shortfalls and it looks like the Government's starting to take some moves to remediate those."
The report he recently authored estimates that the new submarines could cost more than $36 billion but Mr Costello says if it is done right, it will be worth the hefty price tag.
"In exchange for a large contract, a significant capability would be returned," he said.
"A capability that would see our Navy be able to contribute to national strategy right through to the year 2050 or thereabouts. So the numbers are large, as is the return on the investment." |
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By: bogarde73
5/11/2009
10:43 am Yahoo! Profile:
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Wasn't it another Labor govt that gave us the Collins class?
I seem to remember Kim Beasely pracning around (difficult for Kim) with floaties on.
And now Labor is going to give us Son of Collins! |
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By: ktt72@y7mail.com
5/11/2009
10:46 am Yahoo! Profile:
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I am no fan of labor, but I have always said we don't spend enough on the security of our country. What a great thing new submarines will be for our defense forces.
The Colins class (now!) are one of the quietest diesel electric submarines on the planet, and very effective. it may have taken us a while to get there, but I doubt the same mistakes will be made a second time around.
Here's cheers to the Aussie Government for finally putting some decent money into the navy! |
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By: codswal
5/11/2009
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| well I thought he said all that to scare the Chinese....lol..well they may help in the attack of the boat people.. |
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By: ill_be_back@rocketmail.com
5/11/2009
12:00 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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The Colins class (now!) are one of the quietest diesel electric submarines on the planet, and very effective. it may have taken us a while to get there, but I doubt the same mistakes will be made a second time around.
They certainly are quiet. Last I heard they are all in dock getting the motors replaced because they have a nasty habit of carking it every few hundred hours |
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By: acotrel2003
5/11/2009
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| The biggest joke was when Brendan Nelson became Minister for Defence, and found out what a rat's nest the department is! It was just bloody hilarious when he tried to change the ingrained culture! These guys are really bloody smart when their on the outside looking in. When it comes to doing a job of work - NOT SO SMART! Bogarde 73 obviously fancies himself! To him: get yourself a job there and let's see you stand up and be counted! |
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By: denrose9
5/11/2009
4:33 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| "Put simply, we need to be able to take warfare to an adversary's front door,,,,,,,, bit of a bugger in Afghanistan I would have thought. |
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By: pansi1951
5/11/2009
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codswal<<lol..well they may help in the attack of the boat people..>>
......................... ..............
gee cods, it sounds like you liken 'the boat people' to aliens from another planet. Maybe if you take a closer look you'll see they're just like us, I bet you could even communicate with them if you tried. |
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By: pwolfe29
5/11/2009
7:37 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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well I thought he said all that to scare the Chinese....lol..well they may help in the attack of the boat people..{codswal}
---
Would this be the stupidest post ever fron this person? |
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By: del_inquentboy
5/11/2009
8:13 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| I think Cods was being facetious (not meant to be serious)........so that would make you an idiot wouldn't it..... |
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By: del_inquentboy
5/11/2009
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| both of you! |
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By: ddrcn@y7mail.com
5/11/2009
9:39 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| cheaper to go nuclear. |
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By: ddrcn@y7mail.com
5/11/2009
9:44 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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Put simply, we need to be able to take warfare to an adversary's front door and submarines are a very important mechanism to achieve that," he said.
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A bit aggro, a bit unlaborly.
He is obviously going to call for Nuclear subs and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Cheaper than a Collins and better |
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