![]() That meant only two of the navy's six submarines were operational. In September 2021, the fleet was reduced to half capacity by a major flood on HMAS Sheehan at the same time as HMAS Waller was under repairs after it experienced two floods and a fire within weeks. It shows a strong performance from 2016 until 2021, when problems began to emerge. Using official navy data, satellite images and news reports, Four Corners has pieced together a recent operating history of the Collins. "We live in a world that is much more strategically complex and strategically threatening," Mr Marles says. This lack of new submarines comes as a dangerous decade looms for the region, amid fears of Chinese expansionism and worries that Beijing may look to retake Taiwan.ĭefence Minister Richard Marles concedes keeping the Collins going until the nuclear subs are operational is "not a great answer". The navy insists its six Collins Class submarines, which this year cost $740 million to run, remain a "lethal capability", but a Four Corners investigation has found it has failed to meet crucial operational targets over the last two years.ĭespite the $368 billion AUKUS plan to build a fleet of nuclear-powered subs, the navy will be relying on the Collins as its frontline fighting force for at least the next decade and possibly longer. The Australian Navy, which is struggling to keep its ageing submarine fleet in the water, had only one battle-ready sub at the start of this year, raising doubts about its ability to run a far more complex nuclear program.
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