AU’s Guided Missile Submarine Receives Upgrade From Thales Group
Australian Navy’s guided missile submarine, the Collins Class submarine, received significant upgrade from the Thales Group. Thales Australia enhanced its Platform Training Simulator or PTS — an upgrade similar to the enhancement done by the Thales Group for the United Kingdom’s Vanguard class and Norway’s Ula submarine simulators.
The upgrade to the Collins Class submarine included enhancements to the computing and input/Output system, instructor facilities, Integrated Ship Control management and Monitoring System or ISCMMS and audio systems. Collins Class is now equipped with the latest generation Thales C2000-X simulation technology and newly developed interfaces with ship components. The new recording system installed in the vessel is capable of instant replay accessible through the trainee consoles. Interventions from instructors are not so much needed with this new technology aboard the Collins Class.
Further upgrades to the Collins Class will follow. The final improvements will be made in cooperation with the Defence Science and Technology Organisation.
“This cost-effective, low-risk upgrade will ensure that Australian submarine crews continue to receive the highest standards of training,” Chris Lloyd, Thales Australia’s Vice President Maritime and Aerospace said in a statement.
“The simulator plays a vital role in training our submarine crews. The upgrade should substantially improve reliability and allow us to optimise the training throughput of our future submariners,” Lieutenant Commander Ian Dawson, Manager of Engineering Training at HMAS Stirling said.
Australia’s Collins Class submarine is one among the very first submarines that are fully designed by computers. The vessel was devised with high a performance hull form, highly automated controls, low indiscretion rates and high shock resistance and an efficient weapons handling and discharge system.
However, the Collins Class submarine is set to retire in 2026. On Dec 2, Treasurer Joe Hockey said the government is ruling out an open tender to build the next-generation submarine fleet. He said it would not be realistic to build new submarines within 12 years before the Collins Class retires, pointing all blames to the previous administration.
“We don’t have time for that because Labor failed to make decisions… Buying submarines is not like going down to the parking lot and buying a whole lot of cars,” Hockey was quoted as saying by The Australian. Instead, the government is thinking of buying the Japanese Soryu-class submarine as the possible replacement for the retiring Collins Class submarines. The government had also been eyeing submarine models from European defence manufacturers, The Australian reported.
