Page 42 - Australian Defence Magazine Nov 2018

UNDERWATER TECHNOLOGY
TRANSITION
Applying lessons learned in submarine transition
JULIAN KERR | SYDNEY
Assuming that contractual issues with Sea 1000 are resolved and design and construction eventually proceed more or less
as scheduled, a further vital but as yet largely unheralded challenge awaits; transition.
THIS involves successfully managing the transition of Australia’s submarine capabil- ity from the six-strong Collins-class fleet to the 12 Shortfin Barracuda Block 1A Future Submarines, a massive and extended under- taking ranging from manning and training to basing and support.
Although the RAN and CASG were un- able to provide any subject matter experts to discuss these issues, ADM was able to explore on condition of anonymity the challenges these involved with several past and present
members of the submarine community, and with Mark Sander, a former submarine com- manding officer and president of the Subma- rine Institute of Australia (SIA).
While the Collins’ early days in service were complicated by a variety of materiel is- sues, the initial transition from the Oberon fleet to the new class was also challenging.
“Initial training was a debacle because it was supposed to be computer-based but for the first couple of crews it was nearly all carried out with overhead projectors. And of course the submarines were not ready on time, a possibility that simply hadn’t occurred to anyone,” recalls a Collins CO who preferred to remain anonymous.
“Everything started to concertina. You couldn’t get people through the training pipeline, you couldn’t get your submarines out and working, your Oberon-class boats were paying off, and you ended up with a capability gap.
Transition between submarine classes is about more than just technology familiarisation.
“And when you got on the boat the com- bat system wasn’t working and you had problems with the sonar which got to the point where they had to commission a back- up system to ensure the boat could return to periscope depth safely.”
Inadequate planning, delays, unreliabil- ity; all problems which should not arise again – but will they?
“The vast majority of current submari- ners have only served on Collins,” stated a second senior Collins’ alumnus. “If there aren’t people available, whether still in uniform or not, who remember and understand those early Oberon-Collins transition issues they’re going to make the same mistakes.
“It’s going to be complex; we’re doubling the size of the fleet and I’m not sure every- body fully understands what that actually means in terms of the number of personnel, the infrastructure, the training pipeline.
42 | November 2018 | www.australiandefence.com.au
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