December 13, 2003: Someone passing the Pentagon during the end
of September would have noticed the lights burning brightly all
night at the US Navys Submarine Directorate. An Australian Type
471 Collins-class diesel-electric submarine had just sunk an
unidentified US Navy submarine (most likely a Los Angeles-class
nuclear attack sub, which the US Navy asserts is superior to any
other non-US sub in the world today). The diesel-powered
Collins-class is relatively modest, with a submerged displacement
of approximately 3,300 tons. The nuclear-powered Los Angeles-class
-- designed to sink Soviet submarines during the Cold War -- is far
more sophisticated and typically displaces over 6,900 tons
submerged.
In late September HMAS Waller (S-75) had sunk the pride of the US
nuclear submarine fleet with practice torpedoes during an
unspecified exercise. HMAS Waller was launched in 2001. The RAN
ordered six of these subs from Holland in 1987; the last HMAS
Rankin was launched earlier this year. The class was designed by
Swedish shipbuilders Kockums.
The US Navy has declined to identify the sub involved or provide
details about the exercise. The unidentified US boat was sunk
with a Mk 48 practice torpedo. Both RAN and USN subs use this
weapon. Also during the exercise, Wallers sister ship, HMAS
Rankin, "sank" an unidentified Singaporean ASW ship.
Australias Collins-class boats have been plagued by mechanical and
combat systems problems, including a hull configuration that
produced too much noise, faulty piping and valves, a combat system
that critics said did not work, and faulty hull welds on the lead
boat, HMAS Collins. During the past four years the fleet has been
recalled several times for refit and repair, leading some critics
to suggest that Australia ditch the entire $5 billion investment
and either start over or else simply abandon using submarines. The
present combat system includes command and control systems, plus
sonar, acoustic signal processing and associated software
Commenting upon Australias success in the recent exercise, the
Submarine Group Commander was quoted as saying that, At certain
speeds [the Collins-class is ] virtually undetectable and can
transform themselves into underwater black holes. Indeed, this
is one of the greatest threats now facing the US Navy: the ability
to detect and sink modern diesel-electric subs which make
essentially no detectable noise at low (attack) speeds. Until such
optical systems as LASH become operational, ASW will continue to
rely upon acoustic detection. K.B. Sherman