잠수함 콜린스급 성능개량 사업 시작

[위종민]

When Computers Went To Sea | 호주, 콜린스급 수명연장 추진, 토마호크 발사기능과 잠망경 개량은 삭제 - Daum 카페

호주, 콜린스급 수명연장 추진, 토마호크 발사기능과 잠망경 개량은 삭제

When Computers Went To Sea | 6척 중 1척만 현재 운용 가능한 콜린스급 잠수함 - Daum 카페

6척 중 1척만 현재 운용 가능한 콜린스급 잠수함

콜린스급을 10년 이상 더 운용하기 위한 성능개량 작업을 시작하네요. 가장 항해거리가 긴 HMAS Farncomb부터 작업을 시작할 예정입니다. 

디젤엔진이나 발전기 교체같은 주요 추진체계 교체 대신 선체를 안 자르는 선에서 작업을 진행할 예정이라고 합니다. 

호주, “저위험” 110억 호주달러 규모 콜린스급 잠수함 성능개량 시작 예정

Chen Chuanren
2026년 5월 22일

콜린스급 잠수함 6척 전력은 수명연장(LOTE) 프로그램을 거치게 된다. 사진은 올해 초 시드니에서 열린 카카두 훈련 함대 사열에 참가한 HMAS Dechaineux. (호주국방군)

호주는 호주 해군(RAN)의 콜린스급 디젤전기 잠수함 6척에 대한 수명연장(Life-of-Type Extension, LOTE) 프로그램을 시작할 예정이다. 목표는 AUKUS 체제 하에서 핵추진 잠수함이 도입될 때까지 이 잠수함 전력을 추가로 10년 더 운용하는 것이다.

약 110억 호주달러(78억 미국달러) 규모로 추산되는 LOTE 프로그램은 남호주의 ASC North에서 수행된다.

작업은 이달 말부터 함대 내에서 가장 많은 항해일수와 항해거리를 기록한 HMAS Farncomb를 대상으로 시작될 예정이다. 업그레이드를 받는 선도 잠수함으로서 Farncomb는 우선 상세 공학 평가 단계에 들어가며, 이를 통해 개조 범위를 구체화하고 다른 동급함들에 대한 작업 방향도 결정하게 된다.

동시에 가장 최신 함정인 HMAS Rankin에 대한 유지·정비 작업은 함대 가용성을 유지하기 위해 가속화되고 우선순위가 부여될 예정이다.

콜린스급 잠수함 6척은 1996년부터 2003년 사이 취역했으며, 지난 20년 동안 전투체계, 무장, 센서에 대한 상당한 업그레이드를 이미 거쳤다.

라디오 인터뷰에서 방산산업장관 팻 콘로이는 이번 LOTE 접근법을 “위험성이 더 낮은” 현대화 경로라고 설명했다. 정부는 디젤 엔진과 발전기 같은 주요 추진 구성품을 교체하는 대신 기존 시스템을 개수하고, 잠수함 선체를 절개하는 광범위한 구조 개조를 피하는 방식을 선택했다.

이전 정부가 추진했다가 현재는 폐기된 프랑스 잠수함 프로그램에서는, 향후 차세대 잠수함 전력으로 이전될 기술들을 콜린스급에 먼저 도입하는 계획이 있었다.

콘로이는 “이것은 이 잠수함들을 앞으로 10년 더 운용하기 위한 보다 현실적이고 저위험 접근법에 관한 것이다. 이들은 매우 뛰어난 잠수함들이지만, 이번 방식은 실용적이며 더 효과적일 것”이라고 말했다.

콘로이는 또한 미 해군이 2030년대 초 첫 번째 버지니아급 핵추진 잠수함을 호주에 이전하는 일정도 여전히 계획대로 진행 중이라고 밝혔다.

한편 캔버라는 호주의 미래 버지니아급 잠수함 전력을 위한 전투체계 통합업체로 록히드 마틴을 선정했다. 정부는 이번 계약이 미 해군 시스템과 완전히 상호운용 가능한 자주적 역량을 제공하게 되며, 이를 통해 방문 잠수함과 미래의 호주 운용 잠수함 모두에 대한 원활한 지원이 가능해질 것이라고 설명했다.

Chen Chuanren

Australia to begin “low-risk” A$11bn Collins-class submarine upgrade - Asian Military Review

Australia to begin “low-risk” A$11bn Collins-class submarine upgrade - Asian Military Review

Australia to begin “low-risk” A$11bn Collins-class submarine upgrade

By

 Chen Chuanren

 -

May 22, 2026

The fleet of six Collins-class submarines will undergo a life of type extension. HMAS Dechaineux is seen at the Exercise Kakadu fleet review in Sydney earlier this year. (ADF)

Australia is set to begin a life-of-type extension (LOTE) programme for the Royal Australian Navy’s six Collins-class diesel-electric submarines. The aim is to keep the fleet of boats in service for another decade, pending the arrival of nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS.

The LOTE programme, estimated to cost around A$11 billion (US$7.8 billion), will be carried out at ASC North in South Australia.

Work is scheduled to commence at the end of May with HMAS Farncomb, the boat with the highest number of sea days and distance travelled within the fleet. As the lead submarine undergoing the upgrade, Farncomb will enter a detailed engineering assessment phase first, one intended to refine the scope of modifications and to inform work across the rest of the class.

At the same time, sustainment work on the youngest boat, HMAS Rankin, will be accelerated and prioritised to maintain fleet availability.

The six Collins-class submarines entered service between 1996 and 2003, and they have already undergone substantial combat system, weapons and sensor upgrades over the past two decades.

Speaking in a radio interview, Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy described the LOTE approach as a “lower-risk” modernisation pathway. Rather than replacing major propulsion components such as diesel motors and generators, the government has opted to refurbish existing systems and to avoid extensive structural modifications involving cutting open the submarines.

Under the previous government’s now-abandoned French submarine programme, the plan had been to introduce technologies into the Collins class that would later transition into the future fleet.

“This is about a more realistic low-risk approach that keeps these submarines in the water for another ten years. They’re very capable submarines, but this is a way of doing it that’s pragmatic and will be more effective,” Conroy said.

Conroy also stated the US Navy remains on schedule to transfer the first Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines to Australia in the early 2030s.

Separately, Canberra selected Lockheed Martin as the combat system integrator for Australia’s future Virginia-class fleet. The government said the arrangement would provide a sovereign capability fully interoperable with US Navy systems, enabling seamless support for visiting submarines, as well as future Australian-operated boats.

by Chen Chuanren

[백선호]

괜히 선체 자르고 다시 붙였다가 서로 잘 맞지 않거나 물이라도 새면... ㄷㄷㄷ

[위종민]

호주 조선능력으로는 괜히 자르니 뭐니 하는거보다 안전하게 경정비 수준으로만 ㅎㅎㅎ