A huge volume of work is done on, and for, the Royal Australian Navy’s Collins Class submarine fleet at South Australia’s Osborne Naval Shipyard by Australia’s submarine company, ASC.
The largest of these tasks is the Collins’ deep maintenance, or Full-Cycle Docking (FCD). During a submarine’s FCD, which occurs over 24 months after every 10 years in operation, the boat is completely stripped down and has its massive diesel engines and main motor removed and refurbished.
Hundreds of submarine experts work on the program, including engineers, technicians, welders, pipe fitters, electricians, specialist engineers, boilermakers, and warehousing and procurement specialists.
ASC is also delivering the Collins Life of Type Extension (LOTE) project from Osborne. In conjunction with ongoing sustainment, the LOTE will enable each submarine to continue operating effectively for 10 years beyond its original withdrawal date, ensuring Australia retains a potent, conventionally powered submarine capability for years to come.
Major LOTE work will include installing new propulsion systems, diesel engines, generators and power conversion and distribution systems, upgrading the boats’ cooling system and conducting a range of hull assessments. First-of-class implementation will take place on HMAS Farncomb in mid-2026 during its FCD.
