Australia to upgrade 3,100-ton Collins-class submarines to bridge AUKUS delivery gap

Australia will begin a major life-extension overhaul of the Collins-class submarine fleet, starting with HMAS Farncomb.

The program aims to add about 10 years of service through targeted upgrades, not a full engine replacement.

Costing up to $11 billion, it is meant to keep Australia’s undersea capability ready until Virginia-class submarines arrive in the 2030s.

The move is intended to avoid a submarine capability gap during the long AUKUS transition.