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> With a 30 to 40 per cent local cost premium as a starting point and the history of the Collins class submarine to go by It's a popular myth that the Collins
by tmnvix 11y ago
> With a 30 to 40 per cent local cost premium as a starting point and the history of the Collins class submarine to go by
It's a popular myth that the Collins class subs were a failure. They were actually a great success (once the teething problems were ironed out) and, from memory, came in at only around $50m over budget.
- danieltillett 11y agoYes this is true - the problem is we can't crew them.
- a3n 11y agoWhy? Australian ambition too big for its population size? Not enough people willing to serve? I would think competition to get into the submarine service, among military people, would be high.
- codyb 11y agoIs submarine crew a good position in the military? Seems like a shit gig to sit in a metal can with no sunlight for months at a time but maybe that's just me.
- gaius 11y agoIt's slightly better paid and a chance to do some "real" operations even in peacetime, e.g. surveillance on rival nations (a lot of this during the Cold War), delivering and extracting SOF, being first on station in the event of a crisis, live-firing cruise missiles, etc etc. Everyone's motivated differently I guess.
- a3n 11y agoIt's relatively "elite," for people that care about that.
- EliRivers 11y agoIf the Australian Navy is anything like the British navy, getting sailors into the submarine service and getting them to stay there is awfully tricky. The RN tries very hard to make submarine service all volunteer, which constrains the pool further. By and large, it's a far less pleasant working and living environment than a surface vessel, and a number of submariners also cite the massively constrained communications as a reason for being thoroughly sick of it. Extra pay only goes so far.
- gozur88 11y agoThe problem is Australia is too large for a dozen submarines to patrol. That kind of duty is pretty arduous, and if you don't give the men enough R&R they quit.
- satori99 11y agoIndeed. You can watch a Collins class sub take out a US Destroyer during war games, in this relatively short video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqFVOL7mLd4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqFVOL7mLd4