Thales wins submarine simulator contract

Thales Australia has signed a contract with the Defence Materiel Organisation to upgrade the Collins Submarine Platform Training Simulator (PTS).

Located at the Submarine Training and Systems Centre (STSC) at HMAS Stirling, Western Australia, the PTS has been in service since 1993. Comprised of a Propulsion Control Simulator (PCS) and a Submarine Control Simulator (SCS), the PTS plays a central role in delivering individual and collective training across a number of critical submarine systems, including the propulsion, manoeuvring, power conversion and distribution, and auxiliary systems.

By adopting the latest Thales simulator technology, the upgrade will incorporate improvements to the PTS to address obsolescence and fidelity issues, bringing it up to date with the current configurations of the actual submarines.

Beyond the simulator, Thales is a major supplier to the Collins program. The company provides and supports the sonar suite, towed array, periscope visual system, communications mast and other key sensor support. Additionally, the company will also be upgrading the periscope visual system under a recently signed contract. Since the program’s inception, Thales has accumulated extensive experience in supporting the unique requirements of Australia’s submarine program, and has a detailed understanding of potential enhancements in this area.

“This contract is a prime example of how we work closely with the customer to deliver low-risk, cost-effective upgrade solutions that will enable the Navy to continue to train their Collins crews for many years,” said Thales Australia CEO Chris Jenkins.

“As the original supplier of the Collins PTS, Thales is able to carry out the upgrade with minimal technical risk, leveraging our international experience from similar submarine upgrade programs in the UK,” Chris said.

Lieutenant Commander Andrei Ezergailis, the Royal Australian Navy’s STSC Engineering Training Manager, said "The PTS provides a significant volume of vital individual and collective training for trainees and submarine crews. This upgrade will allow the PTS to continue to support Collins training through to the platform's expected life of type."