The Australian Department of Defence confirmed on September 26th, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, that the Australian Collins-class submarine “HMAS Farncomb” sustained an electrical fire at sea in August; nevertheless, there were no reported injuries due to the incident.
The Australian Department of Defence has reportedly indicated that the operation of the submarine is confidential, and they have also refused to identify the location of the incident and the submarine’s maintenance status.
After the fire was put out, the submarine proceeded its mission as planned, according to a representative for the Australian Department of Defence, who stated that the fire did not cause any injuries and that the operation was not interrupted.
According to reports, the submarine in question has been on duty for the past 25 years and is one of Australia’s six Collins-class submarines in operation at present.
Rex Patrick, who served as an Australian senator previously and is now retired from the submarine crew, has remarked that flames on submarines are a nightmare for the crew. According to him, fires on submarines are extremely hazardous since they produce toxic smoke, and it is imperative that you put out the fire as quickly as possible.
Patrick also remarked that the military needs to pay attention to the ageing of Collins-class submarines, noting that the longer submarines are in service, the higher the possibility that they will experience problems.
At one point, the Collins-class submarine fleet belonging to Australia was scheduled to be decommissioned beginning in 2025. The Australian Navy has, however, admitted that despite their advanced age, these nuclear-powered submarines may continue to be used for a considerable amount of time as they await the arrival of new submarines powered by nuclear energy as part of the Orcus cooperation programme.
AUKUS