The government has officially launched the Collins-class submarine life of type extension program to ensure the Collins boats remain an effective capability pending the arrival of nuclear submarines next decade.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the life of type extension (LOTE) would reduce risk, enhance capability and maximise submarine availability as Australia transitions to a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine fleet.
That will begin with HMAS Farncomb at the end of this month, with all six Collins submarines eventually receiving this comprehensive modernisation.
This will extend each boat’s life by 10 years, with retirement of oldest boats now in the early 2040s. By then nuclear subs should be in service.
The HMAS Farncomb LOTE will take more than two years, though others may be briefer. The work tempo aims to ensure at least two boats remain available for operations at any time.
Next into LOTE will be HMAS Collins, the first of class, with substantially fewer sea days and less distance.
ASC, the Government’s sovereign submarine sustainment partner, will be responsible for delivering the program which will be informed by independent expert advice, detailed planning and industry engagement.
“These decisions reaffirm the Albanese Government’s commitment to keeping the Collins class a potent and highly capable strike and deterrent capability today and for years to come,” Marles said.
“Extending the life of all six Collins class submarines is critical to maintaining that edge as we transition the Navy from conventional to nuclear-powered submarines.”
Under the Collins-class LOTE, Defence will undertake a conditions-based sustainment approach which will see Defence and ASC retain and restore base components while continuing to upgrade critical weapons and systems.
This will reduce engineering and schedule risks and ensure the Collins class remains a formidable deterrent for years to come.
HMAS Farncomb, launched in December 1995 and commissioned in January 1998, is the second oldest of the Collins boats with the highest number of sea days and greatest distance travelled.
The work on HMAS Farncomb will start with a detailed engineering assessment to tailor its LOTE upgrades and inform work required across the class.
The program will also accelerate and prioritise sustainment work on the fleet’s younger submarines, commencing with HMAS Rankin, launched in November 2001.
The Collins-class will be supported by increased investment of up to $11 billion over the next decade for sustainment, including LOTE maintenance and the skilled workforce and infrastructure required to maintain this capability.
In 2024, the Government listed the Collins class submarine capability as a Product of Concern to increase ministerial oversight and management of the capability. That’s now driving improvements in process and productivity across Defence and industry.
In an address to the Lowy Institute, Minister Marles said Australia’s most important military capability was embodied in our long-range submarines.
He said the Collins-class submarines, which came into service from the mid-1990s had a planned end of life in the 2020s, with a replacement plan outlined in the Rudd Government’s 2009 Defence White Paper.
What followed was a 20-year delay to Australia’s plans to introduce the next class of submarines with the first not expected until the 2040s.
“By now much depended on carefully extending the life of the Collins class submarines. A life of type extension for a capability as complex as a submarine fleet requires deliberate, careful planning. These decisions need to be taken a decade in advance,” he said.
Marles said in 2023, Labor commissioned the independent assurance activity by Gloria Valdez on the most appropriate approach to the extension of the Collins class and the state of industry’s preparedness to deliver this project.
Under the new enhanced sustainment approach to LOTE, each boat will be examined as it enters LOTE, with systems only replaced if absolutely necessary.
Initially it was planned to finally replace troublesome Hedemora diesel engines and their Jeumont-Schneider electric motors and generators on all six boats. Now, diesel engines and generators won’t be replaced on younger boats, though older boats will receive new MTU diesel engines.
There will still be significant capability upgrades to systems including sonar and electronic support measures and weapon systems. Some boats are experiencing corrosion which will be repaired.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said the Collins LOTE was a critical capability decision and a major investment in Australia’s sovereign defence industrial base and submarine supply chain.
“Strong collaboration with Defence industry partners will be essential to keeping the Collins class fleet available as we move towards a nuclear-powered submarine capability,” he said.