Australia to Upgrade Collins Class Submarines

Australian Defense Minister Senator David Johnston announced the Defense Materiel Organization has signed a multimillion dollar contract with ASC Pty Ltd to update the control management and monitoring system for the Royal Australian Navy’s Collins Class submarines.

Senator Johnston said the Integrated Ship Control Management and Monitoring System is a highly automated computerized system, which enables the crew of a Collins submarine to control, monitor and manage the large number of diverse and complex systems on board the submarines.

“Work under the $57 million contract will focus on updating electronic components and porting the software to operate on the new system,” Senator Johnston said.

“The current Ship Control Management and Monitoring System has performed effectively and reliably since the Collins class entered service in the 1990s.”

“However, it is essential to upgrade the current system to ensure the system can be maintained for the remaining service life of the Collins Class fleet.”

ASC is the Collins Class Submarine Platform System Integrator and they will be supported on the project by Saab Systems in South Australia.

The contract also covers design, development and manufacture of the hardware for two boats: the updating of the shore-based test facility and platform simulation trainer, and the installation of the updated system in the first boat.

Senator Johnston said the majority of the work will be performed in Outer Harbor and Mawson Lakes in South Australia.