by Peter Yule
industry capabilities, 47
response of ASC, 290, 297
micro-alloy, 145, 148, 168–71
staff, 288
welding techniques, 175
upgrading technology, 294–5
Stein, Karl Bertil, 128
Submarine Warfare Systems Centre
Stenberg, Pelle
(SWSC)
on contract negotiations, 119
development of combat system
contracted ship’s characteristics, 113
requirements, 35
on fuel supply system, 133
Oberon upgrade, 24–5
Kockums’ representative in Canada,
role in augmented combat system, 292
203
role in combat system design, 154–5
on ship control system, 106
submarines in Australian service, before
Stirling, HMAS, 207
Oberon class, 4–9
STN Atlas
Subsafe program, 164
ISUS 90-55 combat system, 300–5,
Subtics combat system, 300
306
Success, HMAS, 85
recommended, 301
support, in-service, see maintenance
teams with Lockheed Martin, 300
and support
Strachan & Henshaw, 67, 126, 142
Svensson, Tore, 92, 125
Stuart, Greg
Swan, HMAS, 9
on air purification system, 140
Sweden
on AMS proposal, 103
assistance with crew training, 208
contracted ship’s characteristics, 113
influence in Australia, 42, 82, 326
on diesel engines, 224
reputation as supplier, 80
on Electric Boat, 312
security issues, 82–3, 90, 108, see also
electrical cabling change, 140–1
classified information
on fuel supply system, 222–5
Sydney Morning Herald, 265
on Hedemora diesels, 126, 225
sytems integration, 322
on intellectual property settlement,
316
tactical data management systems, see
on Kockums, 99, 264
Singer Librascope
Kockums liaison team, 90, 92–3
Taiwan, see overseas sales efforts,
on noise requirements, 227
Taiwan
project office staff, 30
tank testing, 137, 138
on propeller design, 230
Tasmania, campaign to build
on propeller dispute, 264
submarines, 87, 88
on quality of maintenance, 259
Taylor, John, 174, 261
on ship control system, 107
Taylor, Rod, 267, 268–9
I N D E X
363
Teamwork (analysis technique), 157
sea trials, 215–17
technology transfer, 85–6
stand-alone sonar equipment, 245
Tender Evaluation Board, 62–8, 72–4
static dive, 212
tender process
surface sea trials, 212
definition study evaluation, 101–2
under-way dive trials, 213
submarines, see submarine
combat system, see combat system,
evaluation team
trials process
evaluation, 72–4
Farncomb, 217–19
Cabinet decision, 74–5
trials board, 210
cost, 71
Tubemakers, 78, 80
industry participation evaluation,
Tudor (battery company), 127
71–2
Tyler, Patrick, 49
possible prejudices, 62
Type 12 frigates, 9
preliminary evaluation of designs, 62
Type 2000 submarine design, 67–8,
request for tenders, 59
104
testing, pre-launch, 150
definition study evaluation, 107
Thales
design philosophy, 100, 103–4, 106
combat system interface, 252
Type 2400 Upholder class submarine,
Subtics combat system, 300
60
Thomson CSF, 137
tender evaluation, 63, 65–6
combat system tender evaluation
cost, 71
combat system trials, 212
operations cost, 71
relations with Rockwell, 98
rejected, 73
Thomson Sintra, 159
Type 471 submarine design
completes development, 159
anechoic tiles, 178
liaison team, 159
conceptual design, 130–1
relations with Rockwell, 159
definition study evaluation, 105, 107
Thornton, Jock, 124
design philosophy, 103–4
Thyssen Nordseewerke
detailed design, 133–4, 135
approached by Eglo, 40
Australian engineers, 135, 141
response to tender request, 61
Australian office, 136–7
Type TR1700A submarine, see Type
RAN team, 135–6
TR1700A submarine
ship control and management system,
TI338 regime, 261
see ship control and management
Tobruk, HMAS, 85
system
torpedoes, Mark 48, 23
steel, 168–71
Torrens, HMAS, 9
tender evaluation, 66–7
Townley, Athol, 12, 13, 14
Type TR1700A submarine, 61, 65,
trade unions, 42
71
aims for project, 326
Type XXI U-boat, 22
support ‘accord’, 42
support for Australian construction,
Ude, Udo, 76
44, see also industrial relations
United Shipbuilders Bureaux, 60
training, crew, 206
United States Navy
ASC responsibilities, 206
anechoic tiles, 178
Oberon class submarines, 208
assistance with combat system, 270
ship control and management system,
assistance with noise problems, 238,
see ship control and management
269
system, training and simulator
assistance with propellers, 263, 270
Sweden, 208
assistance with shaft seal leaks, 234
Transfield, 77, 259
request for assistance, 269, 270–1
trials process
role in augmented combat system, 292
ASC role, 218–19
role in replacement combat system
Collins, 210–11
development, 307
basin trials, 212
technical advice and assistance,
collision with Australian Submarine
311–12
Corporation (ASC) ship lift,
United States, role in submarine
213–14
project, 109
crew training and manuals, 214–15
Unsworth, Barry, 88
project office reports, 214
Upholder class submarines, 27, 320–1
364
I N D E X
Vanderhoek, Ted, 160, 293
commitment to project, 262
Varta Batteries, 127
on crew training, 209
V ästerg ötland class submarine, 131,
departure, 86, 96, 194
133, 135, 208
first deep dive of Collins, 216
hull design, 137, 229
on industry capabilities, 47
Verdix, 155
Ins
titute of Engineers seminar, 52
vibration
on Oberon training, 208
generator sets, 241–2
project chain of command, 84, 86
periscopes, 231–2
project director, 30
Vickers Armstrong, 17
on Rubis class, 33
Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering
tender evaluation, 63
Ltd (VSEL), 5, 56, 60
visits Kockums, 50
Australian industry participation, 72
White, Hugh, 273
building practices, 71
White, John, 39–40
commitment to Australia, 40–1
AMS bid, 111
lobbying efforts, 74
consortium to takeover ASC, 259
new submarine feasibility study, 39
European visits, 50, 76, 77
Type 2400 Upholder class submarine,
Institute of Engineers seminar, 52
see Type 2400 Upholder class
on liaison teams, 93
submarine
lobbies for Australian submarine
Victoria, campaign to build
construction, 40–1, 43, 44, 46,
submarines, 88
58, 89
von Geuzau, Altingh, 99
Wilcox, Justice, 316
Williams, Don
Waller, HMAS
ASC chief executive, 123
defects, 234
Collins launch, 188, 189
named, 147
departure from ASC, 194–5
performance in exercise, 295–7
dominates project, 194
RAN refuses to accept, 271
Kockums’ welding defects, 145
replacement combat system fitted, 309
and Rockwell, 194, 199
Waller, John, 167
Williams, Jim, 169
Walrus class submarine, 60
Williamstown Dockyard, 9
tender evaluation, 67, 73
case for building new submarines,
cost, 71
45
Walters, Patrick, 111
government responsibility, 54
Walters, Richard, 288
industrial relations, 51, 53
Watson, HMAS, 24, 159
method of construction, 49
Watt, Alan, 55
reform, 195
weapons system, 142, see also Harpoon
Willis, Ralph, 128
missiles; torpedoes, Mark 48
wind tunnel testing, 237–8
welding
Woodside, 78
defects in Kockums’ sections, 144–6,
Woodward, Sandy, 22, 62
316–17
Wormald International, 120
DSTO work, 167–74, 177
and ASC, 79–80
industrial standardisation, 175–6
shareholding, 183
joining hull sections, 150
sub-contract, 125
non-destructive testing, 176
change of ownership, 121
at Osborne, 147–8
role in clash between Kockums and
Wellman Precision Engineering, 140
CBI, 181
West, Barry, 81
ship control and management system,
Western Australia, 88
143
Westinghouse, 142
sub-contract to Saab Instruments,
Weymouth, H. P., 13
161
White, Graham, 30
Wrigley, Alan, 28
ALP caucus briefing, 83, 84
opposition to project, 32–3, 58,
and Beazley, 74, 86
74
Button’s view of, 57
Wyllie, David, 176, 178, 237
collision during trials, 213
commitment to Australian
Yandell, Charlie, 124
construction, 43, 44, 46, 58, 89
Young, John, 301
Document Outline
CONTENTS
LIST OF KEY PEOPLE
LIST OF ACRONYMS
INTRODUCTION
1 YOU CAN’T BUILD SUBMARINES IN AUSTRALIA 1 ‘The one class of vessel that it is impossible to build in Australia’: Australia’s early submarines
2 Australia’s Oberon class submarines
3 The submarine weapons update program and the origins of the new submarine project
4 The new submarine project
5 ‘We can’t build submarines, go away’: Eglo Engineering and the submarine project
6 The acts of the apostles
7 ‘But how will you judge them?’: the tender evaluation process 1984–85
8 Spies, leaks and sackings: from tender evaluation to project definition study
9 The project definition study 1985–86
10 Debating the laws of physics: picking winners 1987
2 THE HONEYMOON YEARS 1987–92 11 ‘Keen as mustard to do a good job’: setting to work 1987–89
12 Designing the Collins class
13 Building submarines
14 The automated integrated vision
15 Steel, sonars and tiles: early technological support for the submarines
16 ‘On time and on budget’
3 ‘A STRANGE SENSE OF UNEASE’ 1993–98 17 End of the honeymoon
18 The trials of Collins
19 ‘They were problems we didn’t expect’
20 The role of Defence Science: noise and diesels
21 ‘A patch on this and chewing gum on that’: the combat system 1993–97
4 RESOLUTION 22 ‘Hardly a day went by without the project getting a hammering in the press’: the project in crisis 1997–98
23 ‘Bayoneting the wounded’: the McIntosh-Prescott report
24 ‘That villain Briggs’ and the submarine ‘get-well’ program
Aloha HMAS Waller – Australia’s submarine success!
25 ‘Inside the American tent’: the saga of the replacement combat system
26 ‘We’ll do it and get rid of the buggers’: Kockums, ASC and Electric Boat
27 ‘We would find that challenging’: comparison and retrospect
NOTES
INDEX