Australia has refused to accept HMAS Waller, the third of six Collins-class (Type 471) submarines being built for the Navy. HMAS Collins at her launching. The first two units, Collins and Farncomb, have been plagued by delays, a minor collision, leaks, fatigue cracks in the propeller blades, and near-continuous software integration problems. Although commissioned in 1996 and 1997, neither boat is expected to be combat-ready before 2000. On December 22, 1998, the Australian News Network cited excessive radiated noise and software problems as so severe that the boat could not be accepted into service. In early March, the Australian government launched an independent review of the entire project. An advanced Swedish design being built in Australia, the submarine has an sophisticated combat system and an extremely low radiated noise, as designed. Those two goals have been difficult to achieve in reality, and represent the class' biggest problems. These design issues have not only affected the Australian boats. There are hints that the Swedish Navy subs have also needed corrective surgery for various flaws. The initial plans for the boat included fitting them with an air-independent propulsion system, included during construction on the last two units, and retrofitted to the first four during regular refits. Because of the "low noise signature" and low indiscretion rate, the Australian government has decided to forego the AIP propulsion. BT Back to The Naval Sitrep #16 Table of Contents Back to Naval Sitrep List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1999 by Larry Bond and Clash of Arms. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com