Lack of 30% hands strands (Aussie) navy subs, Cameron Stewart, February 27, 2007THE navy's $6 billion submarine fleet is in crisis, with commanders being forced to slash the number of sailing days because there are not enough crew members.
The shortage of skilled submariners is the most acute on record, with crew numbers having slumped to just two-thirds of that required to properly operate the six-submarine fleet.
The result is that the Collins Class submarines - the navy's most expensive and potent weapon - are often lying idle in the dock. ...
The navy requires about 45 crew members to operate each of its six submarines....
It has also increased the size of the special submariner allowances, which traditionally mean pay of up to 20per cent more than sailors on ships...
As revealed in The Australian yesterday, the navy hopes that a new type of seawater hose will allow the submarine fleet to operate at greater depths next year. Depth restrictions were placed on all submarines after an on-board flood almost sank HMAS Dechaineux in 2003.
--http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21293295-31477,00.html
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Periscope fault leaves our subs partially blind, Cameron Stewart
, February 28, 2007The navy has become so concerned by the problematic periscopes that it has commissioned a series of studies to explore ways to improve or replace them.
The so-called search-and-attack periscopes on the Collins-class submarines are described by the navy as being "critical" to the "mission effectiveness" of the submarine fleet.
Crammed with hi-tech sensors and stealth characteristics, they are a far cry from the simple periscopes portrayed in Hollywood war movies.
They are needed to give the commander a visual sighting of an enemy and, if they break down, a submarine is partially blinded and would be a liability in battle.
But after more than a decade at sea, the search-and-attack periscopes are wearing out.
"The periscopes were originally specified and designed over 15 years ago," a Defence spokesman said.
"Obsolescence and normal wear and tear dictate that the periscopes are assessed and their maintenance routines reviewed."
Defence sources say the periscopes in the six submarines had so many faults last year that the repair company, BAE Systems, could not keep up.
Relief for the repairers has come only this year because the submarines are spending less time at sea because of an acute shortage of crew.
The issue is a setback for the submarine, which has overcome serious teething problems to become one of the country's most effective defence assets.
Sources say some of the periscope breakdowns have undermined submarine missions but none has been serious enough to force one back to shore.
"Periscopes have a built-in redundancy to ensure that defects do not adversely affect operations," a Defence spokesman said.
The navy has commissioned a study to examine the future of the periscopes and help the navy plan for next-generation technology.
In December, the navy also commissioned a report on "periscope spares usage and maintenance effectiveness" to ensure that the problems could be properly repaired. The periscopes provide the primary sensors for the Collins combat system.
The sensor systems on the periscopes include optical and electro-magnetic sensors for all-weather, around-the-clock surveillance, situation awareness and target acquisition.
"These provide the Collins with its stealth characteristics and are critical to its mission effectiveness," the navy says.
Despite their current problems, the periscopes are a vast improvement on those used in the 1990s. A 1999 Defence report said the first periscopes on the Collins-class fleet vibrated badly and did not focus properly.
Meanwhile, Opposition defence spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon yesterday said revelations in The Australian yesterday about the acute shortage of submariners were an indictment on Defence Minister Brendan Nelson.
"A recruitment, retention and skills crisis in the Australian Defence Force is undermining Australia's national security," Mr Fitzgibbon said.
"Revelations that staffing shortfalls of 30per cent in the submarine arm are hampering submarine operations highlight minister Nelson's failure to properly manage these key defence assets."
The navy has been forced to cut the number of sailing days because of the acute shortage of trained submariners.
--http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21299464-31477,00.html
3.
again,why they dunt have forward planning?The man power shortage and problematic periscopes did not
appear over night.pl tell me why??