Candidates Collins-class submarine replacement project

a german designed type 214 submarine @ hdw building yard in kiel, 2008. evolved type 214 1 of options under consideration replacement program.

in 2009 defence white paper, replacement submarines outlined class of twelve vessels of 4,000 tons displacement, fitted land-attack cruise missiles in addition torpedoes , anti-ship missiles, capable of launching , recovering covert operatives while submerged, , carrying surveillance , intelligence-gathering equipment. submarines fitted united states an/byg-1 combat system.

there 4 possible routes sea 1000 project take, in order of increasing design complexity , risk:

buy military-off-the-shelf (mots) design without modification
develop modified mots design better suit australian service conditions
design evolution of collins-class
design entirely new submarine

designs considered various mots routes included german-designed type 214, japan s sōryū-class, french-designed scorpène class, spanish s-80 class, , evolved collins-class. spanish s-80 class dropped consideration due serious design issues had been noted in public domain. evolved collins class design considered in 2013 officially dropped consideration in 2015, due being assessed work required equated composing brand new design. in addition, saab pushed enlarged variant of swedish a26 submarine, excluded further consideration in february 2015 due sweden having not designed , built submarine independently twenty years. pure mots submarines ruled out project in march 2011, put on table in december 2011.

evolved designs of scorpène class have been offered, while thyssenkrupp marine systems, in additions options evolved type 214, has proposed development of brand new design, type 216, match australian requirements.