Shipbuilding in South Australia: Twentieth century concluded

• Poole and Steele
• Whyalla shipbuilding
• Adelaide Ship Construction Ltd
• Others
• ASC (Australian Submarine Corporation)

ASC (Australian Submarine Corporation)

Across the river from Adelaide Ship Construction International, is the current South Australian shipbuilding success story, the Australian Submarine Corporation, or ASC. Established in 1985 it was the contractor for the design, manufacture and subsequently the through-life support for the Royal Australian Navy's fleet of six Collins Class submarines. The keel for the first, HMAS Collins was laid in 1990, and this was delivered to the Navy in 1996. The sixth and final Collins class submarine was delivered in March 2003. In 2005 the company name was changed to ASC Pty Ltd, and in that year also it was selected as preferred shipbuilder for Australia's $6 billion Air Warfare Destroyer Program. This involves the building of three air-defence capable ships. These vessels will also be capable of undersea warfare with up-to-date sonar systems and surface launched torpedoes.  This project is currently in the design stage with building expected to commence sometime between July 2007-2009. The Spanish firm Navantia and US company Gibbs & Cox both bid for the contract with the Navantia design finally being accepted by the Commonwealth government. The final contracts for three air warfare destroyers were signed in early October 2007.

Further reading:

Parsons, Ron.  Southern passages: a maritime history of South Australia.  Netley, Wakefield Press, 1986

Shipbuilding in Australia (editorial Errol. H. Coote) Canberra, Australian Shipbuilders Association, 1968

Ships that passed:  a glimpse of South Australian maritime history Compiled by RT Sexton.  Port Adelaide, Friends of the South Australian Maritime Museum, 1997 Chapter 8:  The future:  the Collins submarine by Martin Edwards.

The Whyalla Shipbuilding & Engineering Works, Whyalla, South Australia:  builders of Australia's largest ships [Whyalla?:  The Works?, 1968?]

Scheiffers, Sue. A ribbon of steel  Whyalla, Whyalla Jubilee 150 Committee, 1985.

The Log: November 1991 Poole and Steele pp142-147 also available in PRG 1190/6/1 Australian shipbuilders

The Advertiser. 'Warship blueprint sails in',  8 March 2007, page 16

The Advertiser 'Ship Wars: Naval powers battle for Adelaide deal', 9 April 2007, pp. 1 and 4

The Advertiser 'Government undecided on extra vessel' , 5 October 2007, page 11