Defence knows what it wants in new subs

Defence has a clear idea of what it wants from new submarines which must do the same as existing Collins subs, with a comparable range but better safety and reliability.

As debate rages on how the expensive new submarines will be procured, Defence Materiel Organisation general manager for submarines David Gould has explained the project's progress to a defence industry conference.

He says defence knows what it wants.

That wasn't an updated version of Collins, a 1980s design regarded as too old to be worth refreshing.

"We know the roles, which will be the same as Collins," he said.

Range and and endurance would be much the same as what Collins does, but reliability and maintainability would be much better, as would the computer combat system.

"We want sustainability to be better than Collins because this is going to go on for 50 years. And we want to do all this to contemporary safety standards."

The navy's six Collins subs start retiring from around 2025 and the government is now considering their replacements. This will be Australia's most expensive defence acquisition, costing anywhere between $20 billion and $40 billion.

Mr Gould said trying to design a new submarine in Australia would impose unacceptable risks of excessive cost, delay and outcome.

So Australia will have to partner with an experienced foreign submarine designer and builder.

"We have been talking to the Japanese. We have discussed with them how we might exploit their families of designs the Oyashio and Soryu. We have had some initial discussions with France and Germany and Sweden," he said.

Defence hadn't yet reached the point where it could make a choice and the field would have to narrow, he said.

There was no point partnering with someone who wasn't a demonstrably experienced designer and builder.

Also critical will be the ability and willingness to share technical data so Australia can take sovereign control of the design.

"This is not just one way traffic. There is technology and knowledge in Australia which we will wish to build into somebody else's design and we need to make sure they are able to protect it," he said.