Originally Posted by
tartare
Non-submariner naïve question here.
If Australia gets the Astute and wants to put an American battle management system in it - is that more or less a case of fitting different electronics boxes, software and monitor screens etc?
Or will different hull related hardware be needed - external sensors, sonar arrays etc.
I think I know the answer but am trying to gauge the degree to which it will be possible to balls it up...
I’m also a non-submariner but, I believe that one of the biggest problems when modifying a submarine is trim. The weight distribution along the length of a submarine is highly calculated, as is the size and position of ballast tanks - when there’s any weight change, these have to be recalculated.
If we were to lease the last 2 Astutes, the RAN would have some commonality with the sonar as the new sonar going into the Collins class is essentially the same as fitted to the Astutes - different combat system & weapons though.
The reported leasing/acquisition of 3-5 Virginia class as a stopgap until tri-nation SSN(R)’s can be built at Osborne would be a good outcome wrt the combat system and weapons but would create a lot of problems with manning them. They are constructed with a requirement for more than 130 crew and the path for all senior officers includes nuclear power plant training and a tour as a propulsion plant engineer. This is very different from the career path required for crewing SSN’s of British origin.