Australia is building a submarine fleet
Recently, the German publication Spiegel-online reported that German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants to sell the Australian Navy to 12 submarines of the 216 project (Typ 216). A contract worth up to 14 billion euros can provide work for German shipbuilding for years to come. However, Australia is only conducting a tender for the development and construction of non-nuclear submarines 12. The results of the tender will be announced in June of this year. Yes, and the submarine Typ 216 exists so far only in the form of a project that will still be worked out and improved.
RUN FOR BILLIONS
In December 2011, the Australian Department of Defense announced a tender for the development and supply of 12 new submarines. Invitations to participate in the competition were: French company DCNS, producing submarines of the type "Scorpen"; Spanish Navantia, producing submarines of the project S-80; German HDW (Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, part of the concern Thyssen Krupp) - submarines of projects Type 212 and Type 214. A little later, the Swedish company Saab and the Japanese Kawasaki Heavy Industries took part in the tender.
The duration of the project is about 30 years. The specific parameters of the project to create new submarines for the Australian Navy have not been determined. It was only planned to start replacing the 6 underwater Collins-type diesel submarines with new ones starting with the 2025 year. The service life of new submarines is defined up to 2070 year, that is, in 30 – 40 years.
It is clear that in their construction the most advanced technologies should be used so that the boats retain their combat effectiveness for such a long time. In addition, Australia based its bid on the SEA 1000 program, which planned the construction of submarines in the country.
In this regard, it is worth quoting the words of the Minister of Material Support of the Armed Forces of Australia, Jason Clare: “Foreign companies have some important knowledge, we should get others on our own. The time has come to develop a plan that will enable us to gain the skills necessary for the development and construction of submarines. ”
From this it follows directly that Australia would itself like to master the production of the newest submarines. And it can be decisive in summing up the tender. However, in this case, the cost of ships increases significantly. Creating production from scratch, mastering new technologies, hiring highly qualified personnel, purchasing and delivering materials and components across the entire planet - this is also an extension of the construction time, which also increases the cost of the finished product.
While the construction of 12 submarines in the shipyards of a shipbuilding company abroad may not exceed 20 billion dollars, the same construction in Australia may cost 30 – 80 billion dollars. Here, experts somewhat differ in estimates, but the minimum expenditures in 30 billion dollars is close to the budgeted cost in 37 billion Australian dollars. The entire rearmament program of the Ministry of Defense of Australia, launched in 2009, is estimated at 70 billion. These funds are planned to be spent over 20 years for the creation and purchase of new equipment for the Ground Forces, Air Force and Navy.
Construction of new submarines on the SEA 1000 project was planned to begin in the 2017 year, and the first such ship to adopt in the 2025 year. At the same time, it was not planned to extend the service life of Collins-type ships ending in 2024 – 2031.
TRADE UNIONS AGAINST
In April, 2014, Australian Defense Minister David Johnston, stated that the Japanese Soryu-type submarines most fully meet the requirements of the military. At the same time, he noted that the Australian industry is most interested in obtaining Japanese transmission technology.
In July, 2014, it became known that Australia and Japan signed an agreement on enhanced military-technical cooperation, under which countries will be able to exchange various military technologies. First of all, it was about cooperation in the development of submarines, especially the propulsion system and transmission.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that the decision to purchase ships to replace the Collins-type submarines will be made on the basis of cost, technical capabilities and regional policy. But at the same time, the government was inclined to acquire Japanese submarines of the type “Soryu” from 8 to 10, and also to build 2 – 4 in Australia. According to some reports, the cost of production of 10 Japanese submarines could be about 20 billion Australian dollars (18,3 billion dollars. USA). The cost of all 12 submarines if built in Japan would not exceed 25 billion Australian dollars. And although confirmation of these plans did not follow, the Australian opposition announced that if they came to power during the 2016 elections, they would terminate the contract with Japan.
In previous elections, the conservatives now in power in Australia promised that all 12 submarines would be built at shipyards in South Australia, but using Japanese technology and with the help of Japan. It was about the same "super quiet" diesel-electric submarines of the class "Soryu" with a displacement of more than 4000 tons.
Meanwhile, the German company Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems has offered Australia a supply of 12 Type 2016 submarines. This project is trying to lobby Chancellor Angela Merkel.
But in the way of Frau Merkel are the Australian business and trade unions. Opposition leader Bill Shorten said that building combat submarines outside of Australia "is an irresponsible step endangering the security of our country as a naval power."
According to the owners of the shipbuilding business, the transfer of orders abroad will provoke a chain of bankruptcies in shipbuilding and related industries. Paul Bastian, president of the trade union of employees in the manufacturing industry, said: “I think that thousands of jobs will be at risk.”
The underwater displacement of the “Soryu” type ships is 4,2 thousand tons with a length of 84 and a width of 9,1 m. These ships are equipped with Kawasaki 12V 25 / 25 SB diesel-electric powerplants and Kawasaki Kockums V4-XNUM-XN Stirling engines joint-service joint V275-20 joint maintenance. "Litter" capable of speeding up to 6,1 nodes, and their range is XNUMX thousand miles.
TRAILER ALL MORE
In the Asia-Pacific region (APR), most states are rapidly building up their naval forces, especially the underwater component. China has become the leader and main engine of this submarine race. The American research group "Jaynes" (IHS Jane's), relying mainly on satellite imagery data, estimates the size of the PLA Navy in four submarines, five nuclear submarines (PLAT) and 53 diesel-electric submarines (DEPL).
In December, a photo of the upgraded version of the 2013 submarine Yuan (Yuan) appeared on the Internet in December, the People's Republic of China officially recognized its production by the Chinese State Shipbuilding Corporation CSSC (ChinaStateShipbuilding Corporation). The photo shows only the cabin, resembling the configuration of the cutting of modern German submarines. Displacement of diesel-electric submarines experts estimated the maximum in 041 thousand tons.
In response to the Chinese threat, the United States intends to deploy about 5% of its navy in the Pacific in the coming 6 – 60 years, including new-built ships and at least four nuclear submarines.
Japan’s defense program, adopted in 2011, provides for an increase in the number of submarines from 16 to 22. Replenishment is due to the construction of the diesel engine diesel generator set “Soryu” with a displacement of 2,9 thousand tons. The boats are equipped with an air-independent power plant 4V-275R MK-III manufactured by Kawasaki (Kawasaki). The pace of construction should make the boat 1 a year.
Another US ally - South Korea implements a large submarine construction program fleetconsisting of three stages. In 2009-2010, the Navy received 9 submarines of project 209/1200. The second stage, that is, at present, is the licensed construction of submarines of the German project 214 of the development of the Howaldtswerke-DeutscheWerft (HDW). Three such submarines have already been built and transferred to the Navy. It is planned to build six more submarines of this type, but already several modernized ones.
In the Republic of Korea itself, the KSS-III submarine is being developed, equipped with Hyunmoo-3 cruise missiles (Hyunmoo-3). The control system for this diesel-electric submarine is being developed by Samsung Thales. After 2020, the third stage of the construction of the submarine fleet will begin - the production of 9 submarines KSS-III.
Now in the Navy of the Republic of Korea is in service with 14 submarines. 12 of them are German diesel submarines type 209 and 214. Plus 2 small boats designed and built in Korea.
As part of the Singapore Navy, there were only four Challenger submarines of the Swedish project A12 built at the end of the 1960s. However, in 2005, two more modern boats of the type Vеstergоtland of the project A17 built by 1990 were bought in Sweden. They were upgraded in the shipyards of Sweden and equipped with air-independent power plants based on Stirling engines. The Singapore Navy entered the 2011 – 2012 years. Here they received a new name - the type "Archer" (Archer).
The Singapore Ministry of Defense 2 December 2013 of the year announced the conclusion of a contract with the German association Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS) to build two non-nuclear submarines of the new project 218SG. It is assumed that these are modernized boats of the export project 214, modified according to the conditions of the customer. As part of the Navy, they must enter the 2020 year, after which all Challenger submarines will be finally written off.
The Myanmar Navy acquired two French-Spanish submarines of the Scorpen (Scorpen) type. However, during the operation, it was found that the cost of their service for the first five years amounted to about two-thirds of the contract amount. For this reason, the further development of the submarine forces of Myanmar has been suspended.
Indonesia intends to bring its submarine fleet to 12 submarines, focusing on its own production. However, now the South Korean company Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) is building three 209 / 1200 submarines for Indonesia. By the way, the first export order for submarines of the Republic of Korea. By 2018, Indonesia intends to build its own submarine with PT PAL in collaboration with the Korean DSME. Indonesia already has two submarines of its own construction.
Vietnam in December 2009 ordered six Russian submarines of the 636.1 project (“Varshavyanka”) worth about 2 billion USD. Two submarines have already become part of the Navy of the country. The completion of the contract is scheduled for 2016 year. Submarines are equipped with the ZM-14E cruise missiles of the Club-S complex (Club-S) to destroy ground targets. With the help of Russia, a specialized submarine base is being built in Cam Ranh Bay.
Indian submarine forces include 17 submarines. It would be more, but the accident rate is too high. These are mainly ships of Russian and German construction. Expected replenishment of six Spanish submarines class "Scorpins". In the future, six submarines of the 75I project will be built on the basis of an overseas project, which will be selected during the tender. Three of them will be built by the state-owned company Mazagon Dock Limited. Another one is another state-owned company Hindustan Shipyard. French DCNS, Spanish Navantia, Russian Central Design Bureau MT Rubin and German HDW were invited to participate in the tender. Submarines project 75I should be equipped with supersonic Indian-Russian cruise missiles "BrahMos" (BraMos).
10 August 2013 launched the reactor of the first submarine of the Indian development "Arihant" (Arihant). The construction of the second national submarine. Meanwhile, India leased a 10U Russian submarine for 971 years, which received the designation Chakra (Chakra) as part of the Indian Navy. Negotiations are underway to lease another Russian submarine. It is assumed that we are talking about the completion of the submarine "Irbis".
The Pakistani Navy has a total of five submarines: two “Agosta-70” type submarines built by 1979 – 1980 and three types “Agosta-90”. One of them was built in France in 1999, two in Pakistan in 2002 and 2006. Armed PKR "Exochet."
The number of Iranian submarine fleet looks impressive - 31 boat. But only three of them are the Russian project 877EKM (“Kilo”), built in 1992, 1993 and 1997. And the rest are mini-submarines of their own construction with a displacement of up to 120 t and 4 mini-boats manufactured by the DPRK of the Yugo project, received as payment of government debt.
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