Chronic onboard mechanical and electrical failure on board Collins-class submarines will not deter the Royal Australian Navy from continuing training for its elite force for submariners.
Of a total of six vessels, only HMAS 'Waller' remains operational. Fifty crew from HMAS 'Farncomb' will be transferred to sistership HMAS 'Collins' to continue their training.
HMAS 'Farncomb' is being repaired following an electrical failure.
Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Russell Crane, said that he was "very disappointed" and that the Navy would work with the Defence Materiel Organisation, industry and ASC (formerly the Australian Submarine Corporation) to determine the extent of the issue and rectify the problem.
Defence sources said that the repair bill for the HMAS 'Farncomb' would run into the millions of dollars.
Defence Minister John Faulkner blamed the Defence Department bureaucracy for the bad management of the Collins-class submarine and told the department to "get it right" before bringing in a new generation of submarines.
"Let's be frank, the availability of the Collins-class submarines has been less than optimal," the Australian Financial Review quoted Senator Faulkner as saying. "We have faced a number of unanticipated problems arising from issues with the design and manufacture process.
"As we look towards the development of Australia's future submarine capability, it is essential that we learn from the challenges we have faced."
Correction and Apology
We have been advised by Drivetrain Power and Propulsion and its subsidiary Hedemora Diesel AB that the problems ascribed to Hedemora engines in the recent mechanical and electrical failures on the Collins-class submarines of the Royal Australian Navy were not due to the failure of any Hedemora engine on the sub HMAS 'Farncomb'.
Drivetrain Power and Propulsion advises that our article was incorrect in attributing responsibility for the Collins-class fleet ability status to the Hedemora diesels.
We apologise for any wrong impression caused.