Lack of 30% hands strands (Aussie) navy subs, Cameron Stewart,
February 27, 2007
THE 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
2.Periscope
fault leaves our subs partially blind, Cameron Stewart
, February 28, 2007
The 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??