It’s been revealed only one of Australia’s six Collins-class submarines are currently in service, as the nation’s naval capabilities are hampered by corrosion, maintenance delays, and industrial strikes.
There is a push to extend the life of the already aged Collins fleet, as the subs approach their predicted 30-year life span.
The Australian reports the vessels are already being used more ‘lightly’ to prevent unnecessary wear and tear.
It comes as Defence pulls its environmental application to upgrade infrastructure at the HMAS Stirling Naval Base at Garden Island.
The application is needed to begin work at the base to ensure it is fit to house US and British submarines when they arrive in 2027.
source
Read long time ago RAN had crews for only 4 out of 6 Collins submarines. Could not find enough crew.
Australia was offered by south Korea to build some subs and be all ready by 2030 or less. Should have taken the deal. Stupid government
Australia should have bought the Japanese submarines a decade ago. Someone needs to be held to account for the 50 years old cock ups in submarine procurement. Don't send my children out in an Ozzie made one.
I presume fully operational means it’s fully loaded with rainbow flags and maxi pads?
Sounds like the Nigerian navy
Why post this? Does Australia media want the country to get invaded?
The term "loose lips sinks ships!" applies here! Someone should get a court marshall over info like this leaking to the public!
Everyone gotta understand it's not the ADF'S FAULT! Every government we've had for a long time has been as equally bad for defence forces. Stop blaming the defence forces, blame the governments and their selfishness.
**Excuse the length but I am pi$$ed off, yet again.
NOT good enough. If we had 'real' leadership RAN could have a new sub ready for IOC. There are/have been MOTS options for the short term – conventionally powered submarines and they should have been acquired. I have said it again as I endlessly hammer this fact – DoD/Russell is the most inept, deeply dysfunctional honeycombed with waste, lack of leadership, myopic, and arrogant Department in the entire wider Public Service.
'Why/how' is this possible? Simple – Australia has had a merry go round of MinDefs for nearly 3 decades, and both sides own this – but by far the biggest FUBAR was when Albanese tapped Marles to be MinDef – Marles is also Deputy PM, Defence needs a strong, no BS, genuinely hard, savvy, ruthless MinDef or Russell will continue to walk all over any MinDef.
Russell have a history of slow walking and disgraceful record of acquiring ADF kit. Look at the RANTier 2 process – we were told a down selection frigate would be chosen by years end 2024. As we approach the end of 2024 Russell still has made 0 real progress – when the options on the table should be easy to pick, sign a [best practice water tight] contract, build off shore, and delivered by end of 2025.
I come at this approach as a BA+MA academic background in defence/international relations, and being trained under the Graduate Program at the ANAO, seconded as a DLO, worked at Russell, and defence has been my personal/professional passion all my adult life. Being recruited as a Graduate opens so many doors – as you're trained to be a Senior Executive Service [SES] Officer, and it allows so many opportunities – the opportunities are just amazing. I say this with NO arrogance or being up myself – I say it as fact, and to provide context. Auditing Russell is one hell of a rabbit hole, and there are rabbit holes everywhere.
DoD is what we in Canberra call one of the big 'co-ordinating Departments' – the money that is wasted by Russell, examples as fact are too many to note here – however it is widely known/discussed DoD/Russell is the 'worst' most un accountable Dept in the wider APS. Having worked on multiple Performance or Evaluation Audits on defence – the waste, dysfunction and bloated middle flag ranks and civilian APS staff remain in place and just add nothing in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, outcomes. RAN should have selected the Tier 2 frigate by now. Political considerations are always, on both sides, a huge factor especially with respect to the LOTE build/upgrade.
Henderson or bust? Everything in the end comes down to Federal seats.
If the government was really serious Marles would cede his role as Deputy PM and be the sole Minister for Defence – put 100% effort and focus on the LOTE process – and 'demanding' Russell select a Tier 2 design.
If one wants to benchmark our defence force against other nation states – look at the city state of Singapore. Look at Israel. The ADF is a complete joke. And until a comprehensive set of change [s] are implemented Australia will continue to dangerously drift – wasting time we do not have, and spending/wasting money on merchandise [coffee cups/t-shirts etc].
If I was Dutton the logical pick for Min Def is Andrew Hastie – AH knows ALL the trickery and BS Russell gets away with – the junior ALP Min Def at present Conroy imo is far more effective than Marles.
To give the two people who gutted Defence to 1938 Budget Appropriations levels in Smith + Houston was a massive insult to Australians – both Smith + Houston oversaw the decimation of DoD Budget Outlays under PM Gillard.
What they produced was airy fairy rubbish that 'sounds' good – but to actually deliver on the identified outcomes was a mirage.
Russell, the Dept Secretary, the First Assistant Secretaries, the Assistant Secretaries ALL continue to slow walk. Ironically, it took a member of the Greens from the Senate in Estimates to get 'real' answers from the Dept Secretary.
And Russell continue to pay for Youtube adverts 'trying' to gin up recruitment. Good luck with that. One final note – it would not surprise me if Albanese/Marles make a major announcement in the coming months about the Tier2 selection – if there's one factor that can impact, expedite a major defence decision – it is a Federal election. I say watch this space.
If my eyes were crooked or otherwise weird I would wear smaller glasses and more lipstick for sure.
the kingswoods more like it, waiting for parts from a holden wrecking yard to keep them going ..china is laughing 😂
Who cares?
Thank Morrison and Aukus, the pie in the sky salesman.
The real problem here is the Australian government is more concerned with saving the planet with windmills and solar panels giving all their money to immigrants and the green New Deal, and then there's the Aukus deal where are the Australian government currently thinks the Americans are going to swoop in and provide Australia with all this and maintain the equipment and fight the battles because why would the great virtue signaling Australian government want to have anything to do with that when they can save the world from climate change. And the funny thing is the Australian government thinks the American government and the American people are fine with this well we're not. In fact I am 97% sure this new alliance that the Australian government thinks is there just to benefit them because they are so virtuous will never go through Australia will never get those nuclear subs. But why would they do that do you ask because your government will not maintain and take care of them and you will have only one nuclear sub working and the other seven will be rusting out
And once again, it is shocking how unprepared nations are when THEY KNOW THEIR NEIGHBORS!
Oh, oh … the US will help? Maybe not .. if we are GIVING help to Ukraine Israel, South Korea etc, how much reserve coukd we possibly have for GER, AU, etc?
The Lord helps those that help themselves … not 'me want to EXPECT other countries to defend me, die for me'
And they want to Stop China inb2028, that will have 4 million men, 4000 War Playns, 700 WarShips (6 AirCraft Carriers), 80 Sumbarines and 700 Nuclear War Heads. They would have had today about 6 New Barracuda (15 Ordered) Sumbarines. Also should get 450 Boxer IFV (and not 230 ). Plus 9 Hunter Frigates (and not 6). Plus only 3 Nuclear Sumbarines (and not 7) and use the 350 billion for the Army. With 4 Brigades (+6 more) we can't Stop China. We need 14 Combat Brigades (6 Mechanized, 2 Armored, 2 Cavalry, 2 Air Mobile and 2 Amphibian). Plus 75 F/W -18 F, 36 B1, 24 more C-130 J and 75 Apache Helicopters. What is the Minister of Defence doing, can't he at all see all these Problems? We have 4 years to Prepare on till 2028. After that it to late.
1 rusted sub ran by blue haired transgender DEI picks will scare the Chinese away
We sure need to get our act together.
AUKUS will change that👍
We buried helicopters that could have been given to Ukraine or kept in storage.
Are you trying to put a target on ur back AU?
THE AUSTRALIA IS BANKRUPT PHYSICALLY, MORALLY, SPIRITUALLY, ACADEMICALLY, MENTALLY, WRAPPED IN A BUBBLE OF MASS MEDIA DISTORTION SO DISTANT FROM REALITY THAT FANTASYLAND IS NOW ITS TRUTH AND EVERYONE KEEPS THEIR MOUTHS SHUT IN CASE THE ZIONIST TRAINED POLICE FORCES SHOW UP AT YOUR FRONT DOOR ARMED TO THE TEETH WITH MILITARY TOYS FROM FOREVER WARS..
I've been driving in the car. Jodie is a coastie. I've declared everything.
Wow… Quick give em some more money, tired and hungry aussies families wouldn't want to disrupt the Warmachine progess schedule.
Hahahahhahaha, they have been a failure from the start….
Fix it now….. don’t waste time.