The first of the Royal Australian Navy’s Collins-class submarines has returned to service after receiving upgrades during maintenance at ASC’s shipyard in Osborne, South Australia.
ASC completed planned maintenance onboard the HMAS Collins as part of a full-cycle docking and enterprise restructure of submarine maintenance.
For her crew, reassuming material control (MATCON) and responsibility for the platform represented an important milestone in her return to service.
HMAS Collins’ marine engineering officer, Lieutenant James Ferrari said it was a significant undertaking.
“A Collins class submarine is an extremely complex platform made up of a multitude of interconnected and interdependent systems.
“After a long period in dock, the task of ensuring that all of those systems function not only individually but also in concert presents significant challenges.”
The transfer of MATCON between the RAN and ASC during different stages of the lifecycle of Collins class submarines is a key feature of the partnership between defense and industry partners..
Commanding officer HMAS Collins, Commander Christopher Ellis was thankful to both ASC and his crew.
“Bringing a boat back into service after a prolonged maintenance period presents a myriad of challenges, which the crew have met with admirable enthusiasm and professionalism,” he said.
“As a result of commendable cooperation between my ship’s company, the larger submarine community, and ASC contractors, I am confident we are on track to return to sea this year with a safe and very capable platform,” Commander Ellis said.
Having now taken MATCON, the crew will oversee the final stages of her maintenance period to include harbour acceptance trials, while working towards readying her, and themselves to go to sea later this year.