HMAS Farncomb (SSG 74) is the second of six s operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Named for Rear Admiral Harold Farncomb, the submarine was laid down in 1993 and launched in December 1995—the first submarine to be completely constructed in Australia. A combination of factors led to Farncomb being the only vessel of her class in operational condition in mid-2009.
Characteristics
The Collins class is an enlarged version of the submarine designed by Kockums. At in length, with a beam of and a waterline depth of , displacing 3,051 tonnes when surfaced, and 3,353 tonnes when submerged, they are the largest conventionally powered submarines in the world. The hull is constructed from high-tensile micro-alloy steel, and are covered in a skin of anechoic tiles to minimise detection by sonar. The depth that they can dive to is classified: most sources claim that it is over .
The submarine is armed with six torpedo tubes, and carry a standard payload of 22 torpedoes: originally a mix of Gould Mark 48 Mod 4 torpedoes and UGM-84C Sub-Harpoon, with the Mark 48s later upgraded to the Mod 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) version.
Each submarine is equipped with three Garden Island-Hedemora HV V18b/15Ub (VB210) 18-cylinder diesel engines, which are each connected to a 1,400 kW, 440-volt DC Jeumont-Schneider generator.
In 1998, while returning from Timor, all three of Farncombs diesel generators broke down. The submarine limped to Darwin, where she waited several weeks for replacement parts to be organised and transported.
As part of combat system trials, Farncomb fired a live Mark 48 Mod 4 torpedo at on 14 June 1999, sinking the decommissioned destroyer escort.
On 19 March 2007, during a five-month intelligence-gathering mission in Asian waters, fishing lines became entangled in Fancombs propeller. The submarine surfaced in international waters during the night, and five sailors were out on the casing attempting to free the propeller when the weather suddenly worsened and the sailors were washed overboard. A rescue party, involving three volunteer swimmers was successful in retrieving the five sailors during a ninety-minute effort, and the submarine continued on without detection. The incident remained classified until August 2009, when the RAN nominated the three rescue swimmers for bravery decorations, the first submariners to be nominated since a 1981 incident aboard .
In 2008 and 2009, personnel shortages reduced the number of submarines able to be deployed to three, with the maintenance schedule and battery malfunctions on several boats combining to reduce this to one, Farncomb in mid-2009.
On the morning of 13 March 2009, Farncomb was one of seventeen warships involved in a ceremonial fleet entry and fleet review in Sydney Harbour, the largest collection of RAN ships since the Australian Bicentenary in 1988. The submarine did not participate in the fleet entry, but was anchored in the harbour for the review.
In January 2010, Farncomb was forced to return to port for urgent repairs after a generator failure. This left sister boat as the only fully operational submarine, with on restricted duties, and the other three submarines undergoing repairs or maintenance.
In August 2011, Farncomb suddenly lost propulsion while using the schnorkel at periscope depth off Rottnest Island. The restart did not function, and the boat began falling backwards. A full emergency ballast blow brought the submarine to the surface, and the engine was restarted.
Farncomb was deployed to Hawaii to participate in the 2012 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) multinational exercise. On 22 July, the submarine fired a Mark 48 torpedo at the former ammunition ship , breaking the ship in two and sinking her. A few days later, a hose in the submarine's weight compensation system split while the boat was recharging her batteries, causing flooding. During November 2013, Farncomb participated in the Black Carillion 2013 submarine escape training exercise. She began a full docking cycle refit in 2014, with most of her crew transferring across to . She returned to the Fleet in August 2016.
Farncomb returned to base at Fleet Base West, Rockingham, in August 2019 after a five month deployment during which she participated in the international exercises Bersama Shield, Pacific Vanguard and Talisman Sabre.
In October 2022 Farncomb visited Yokosuka in Japan to participate in an international fleet review organised to mark the 70th anniversary of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force.
In September 2023, Farncomb suffered a small electrical fire while on routine patrol. The Australian Defence Forces stated that the crew quickly extinguished the fire and no crew members were injured. The ship continued on patrol.
HMAS Farncomb is expected to undergo sustainment and capability enhancements under the Life-of-Type Extension (LOTE) program in 2026, extending her service life into the 2030's. She will be the first Collins-class submarine to receive the upgrades.