Products
ASC rose to prominence in 1987 when it was contracted by the Australian Government to design and manufacture a fleet of six Collins class submarines for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in what was the largest defence contract ever signed in Australia. Although the submarine project was marred with difficulties throughout the 1990s, upon completion the Collins class were hailed as the most advanced diesel-electric submarines in the world. The difficulties continued, however, and the very expensive Collins class submarines have been plagued with troubles and controversy ever since. ASC maintains the six Collins class submarines for their operational lifespans under a A$3.5 billion contract with RAN. To date, no other navy has expressed interest in buying a Collins class submarine.
In 2005, the company was selected by the Australian Government, ahead of two other bidders, as the preferred shipbuilder for three new AEGIS-based Australian air warfare destroyers (AWD) under the Sea 4000 project. The AWDs are scheduled for to begin service introduction in 2013. It is expected that ASC will also build the submarines which are being planned to replace the Collins class, when they reach their expected retirement in 2025.
Read more about this topic: Australian Submarine Corporation
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