Royal Australian Navy Submarine Service

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Ship's badge
of the RAN Submarine Service

The Royal Australian Navy Submarine Service is the

Collins class submarines
.

The Royal Australian Navy Submarine Service has been established four times, with the initial three attempts being foiled by combat losses and Australia's economic problems. The modern Submarine Service was established in 1964, and has formed an important element of the Australian military's capacity since that date. While the Submarine Service has not seen combat since World War I, Australian submarines have conducted extensive surveillance operations throughout

South East Asia
.

The current Director General Submarines is Commodore T. Phillips, RAN.

History

The Royal Australian Navy's submarine service has been established four times since 1914.[1]

1914 to 1945

After the formation of the navy upon Federation, a period of uncertainty had followed as the size of the force to be established was determined. Eventually, this was set at 13 vessels, including three submarines.

British E class submarines AE1 and AE2. These submarines were built in Britain and arrived in Australia in 1914. Following the outbreak of World War I, both boats took part in the occupation of Rabaul in German New Guinea in September 1914. During this operation, AE1 disappeared on 14 September off Cape Gazelle, New Britain with the cause unknown. Its whereabouts was a mystery until it was located by searchers southeast of the Duke of York Islands on 20 December 2017.[4]

HMAS AE2

AE2 remained in the South Pacific until December 1914, when she was ordered to the Mediterranean to support the British-led operations off the

fired in anger.[5]

HMAS Platypus with all six J Class submarines

The Australian submarine service was reformed in 1919, when the British government transferred six

J7. These submarines arrived in Australia with their tender HMAS Platypus in April 1919 and were based at Osborne House, Geelong from early 1920. The boats were in poor mechanical condition, however, and spent most of their service in refit. Due to Australia's worsening economic situation, all of the boats were decommissioned in 1922, and were scuttled later in the decade.[1]

The Australian submarine service was established a third time in 1927, when the British

Sydney on 8 February 1928, but did not arrive in Australia until 14 February 1929; numerous mechanical problems delayed their delivery voyage.[6][7] Due to Australia's poor economic situation, the O Class boats proved to be unaffordable and were placed in reserve in 1930, before transferring back to the Royal Navy in 1931. As a result, the Royal Australian Navy did not operate any submarines during World War II, though the obsolete Dutch submarine K.IX was commissioned as HMAS K9 on 22 June 1943 and was used for anti-submarine warfare training purposes.[8] Due to the boat's poor mechanical condition HMAS K9 saw little service with the RAN and spent most of her time in commission under repair, before being decommissioned on 31 March 1944 due to a lack of spare parts.[9]

HMAS Oxley and Otway

The Australian ports of

Fremantle and Brisbane were important bases for Allied submarines during World War II. A total of 122 United States Navy, 31 Royal Navy, and 11 Royal Netherlands Navy submarines conducted patrols from Australian bases between 1942 and 1945. Fremantle was the second largest Allied submarine base in the Pacific Theatre after Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.[10]

1945 to present

Following World War II the Royal Navy's

HMS Trump, was withdrawn in 1969.[3]

HMAS Onslow in 1998

The first Australian Oberon class submarine,

Collins class submarines during the 1990s. The final Oberon class boat, HMAS Otama, was decommissioned on 15 December 2000.[20]

The six Collins class submarines were the first Australian-built submarines, and the most expensive ships to have been built in Australia. The Collins class submarines were built by the

Rankin (2003). The Collins class submarines currently rank among the most effective conventional submarines in the world.[21]

Like the Oberon class, the Collins-class submarines have conducted surveillance patrols. In 1999, it was reported that Waller and a second boat operated in support of the

Oecussi Enclave to conduct a covert beach reconnaissance ahead of an amphibious landing on 22 October 1999.[24] Two boats Collins and Dechaineux received the special forces upgrade providing the capability whilst submerged to release several swimmers and for their reentry, filling a capability gap the former Oberon-class boat Onslow had provided.[25] While the Collins class submarines' performance has improved over time, their maximum diving depth was permanently reduced following the near-loss of Dechaineux when a pipe burst during a practice dive in February 2003.[26]

In 1998, the Royal Australian Navy became the fourth Navy in the world to permit women to serve on board submarines. The first female submariners began their training at the Submarine Training and Systems Centre in June 1998.[27]

Today

HMAS Sheean (front left) and HMAS Collins (front right) at HMAS Stirling in 2006

The Royal Australian Navy Submarine Force Element Group Headquarters, and all six of the Collins Class submarines, are at HMAS Stirling located on Garden Island, near Perth. The majority of the Navy's submarine support facilities are also located at HMAS Stirling, including the Submarine Escape Training Facility. The LR5 submersible, which is contracted to provide the RAN's submarine rescue capability, has been based at nearby Henderson, Western Australia since June 2009.[28]

Under current Royal Australian Navy doctrine, the Submarine Service has the following responsibilities:[29]

  • intelligence collection and surveillance;
  • maritime strike and interdiction;
  • barrier operations;
  • advanced force operations;
  • layered defense;
  • interdiction of shipping;
  • containment by distraction; and
  • support to operations on land

In early 2007, it was reported that Submarine Service was experiencing severe shortfalls in personnel and had only 70% of its authorised strength of 500 sailors. These shortfalls were reported to have reduced the service's operational readiness and forced HMAS Collins to be temporarily withdrawn from service.[30]

Future submarines

Main article: Attack-class submarine

The Collins class submarines will begin to reach the end of their useful life from 2026.

air independent propulsion and advanced combat and communications systems.[32]

In September 2013,

Rear Admiral Greg Sammut AO was appointed as Head Future Submarine Program.[33]

In 2016, France won a contract to build a conventionally-powered variant of its Barracuda-class submarine for Australia.[34]

In September 2021, the Australian government announced that the deal with France had been scrapped, and that Australia would be working with the United States and United Kingdom to acquire at least eight conventionally-armed nuclear powered submarines as part of the new AUKUS security partnership.[35][36]

Three prototype autonomous underwater vehicles were ordered for the RAN in May 2022, designated the Ghost Shark. The first prototype was publicly revealed in April 2024.[37][38]

Dolphin badge

Australian sailors who qualify as submariners are awarded a badge depicting two dolphins and a crown. This badge (known as a sailor's 'dolphins') was designed by Commander Alan McIntosh RAN, and was introduced in 1966; a similar badge was adopted by the Royal Navy Submarine Service in 1972.[39]

See also

Notes

Footnotes

  1. ^ According to one source Australian submarines are reported to have conducted approximately 20 such patrols between 1977 and 1992.[15]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c "A Brief History of the Royal Australian Navy's Submarine Service". Royal Australian Navy. Archived from the original on 22 July 2008. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  2. ^ Whitley 2000, p. 17.
  3. ^ a b Gillett & Graham 1977, p. 193.
  4. ^ "HMAS AE1 World War I submarine found after century-long search". ABC News. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  5. ^ Jose 1941, pp. 240–248.
  6. ^ John Davison and Tom Allibone (2005). Beneath Southern Seas: The Silent Service. University of Western Australia Press. p. 126.
  7. ^ Sears, in The Navy and the Nation, p. 86
  8. ^ "The Pioneers". Submarines Association of Australia. Archived from the original on 9 December 2006.
  9. ^ Carruthers 2006, p. 151.
  10. ^ Davison and Allibone (2005). p. 219.
  11. ^ Cooper, in The Royal Australian Navy, p. 194
  12. ^ White, Australian submarines, pp. 191–200.
  13. ^ 'Cat and Mouse' Archived 18 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine in Reveille, September/October 2006.
  14. ^ Undersea missions to surface. The Daily Telegraph, 7 September 2006.
  15. ISSN 1038-8761
    . Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  16. ^ Patrick 2014, p. 37.
  17. ^ Linton & Donohue 2015, pp. 285–286.
  18. ^ Expert Panel to Review SAS Veterans' Health Concerns 2003, pp. 73–74.
  19. ^ Shaw, HMAS Onslow, p. 10
  20. ^ Australian Submarines Association, The Oberon Era Archived 18 November 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ Frame, No Pleasure Cruise, pp. 284–285.
  22. ^ Hyland, Arms race' leaving our subs all at sea
  23. ^ Paul Daley Terms of Engagement. The Age 29 August 2000.
  24. ^ Farrell, Peacemakers, p. 66.
  25. ^ Australian National Audit Office, "2014–15 major projects report : Department of Defence"
  26. ^ Navy forced to reduce subs' diving depth. The Age 23 July 2005.
  27. ^ Australian Parliamentary Library E-Brief Women in the armed forces: the role of women in the Australian Defence Force Archived 7 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ Fish, Tim; Scott, Richard (17 June 2009). "LR5 sub rescue system moves Down Under". Jane's Navy International. IHS (Global) Limited. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
  29. ^ Seapower Centre – Australia. Navy Contribution to Australian Maritime Operations Archived 26 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  30. ^ Walters, Patrick. "Higher pay for sailors in subs". The Australian.
  31. ^ Submarine Institute of Australia. Australia’s Future Underwater Warfare Capability – Project SM 2020 Archived 20 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ Patrick Walters (2006). Cutting Edge: The Collins experance. Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Canberra. pp. 10–11.
  33. ^ Rear Admiral Gregory Sammut, Official Biography (RAN), accessed 2021-09-19
  34. ^ "France wins A$50bn Australia submarine contract". BBC News. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  35. ^ "Aukus: UK, US and Australia launch pact to counter China". BBC News. 16 September 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  36. ^ Prime Minister; Minister for Defence; Minister for Foreign Affairs; Minister for Women (16 September 2021). "Australia to pursue Nuclear-powered Submarines through new Trilateral Enhanced Security Partnership". Prime Minister of Australia (Press release). Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021. This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
  37. ^ Tucker, Patrick (22 April 2024). "Australia got a new sub drone far faster than the US Navy could have, company says". Defense One. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  38. ^ "Defence and Anduril unveil first Ghost Shark prototype". Australian Defence Magazine. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  39. ^ Seal 2013, pp. 4–5.

References

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