HMAS Rankin

Commissioned on 29 March 2003, HMAS Rankin is the final of the six Collins Class submarines to enter service in the Royal Australian Navy. Based at Fleet Base West in Western Australia, they are a formidable element in Australia's defence capability.

Since commissioning, HMAS Rankin has successfully conducted a range of activities throughout the region in support of Australian Defence Force exercises, operations and the government's strategic directives.

Collins Class submarines are tailored specifically for their defence and two-ocean surveillance role in the Royal Australian Navy. The submarines, designed and built by the Swedish Navy, are as quiet as advanced technology can achieve.

One of the first submarines fully designed by computers, these vessels boast a vast range of features. They include a high performance hull form, highly automated controls, low indiscretion rates, high shock resistance and an efficient weapons handling and discharge system.

The submarine will move silently on electric power supplied by banks of new-technology batteries charged by three on-board diesel generator sets.

The sophisticated combat system is an advance on any system currently available. It gathers intelligence from sensors, computes the input, and launches and directs weapons.

Specifications