HMAS Sheean

{{See also|Collins-class submarine#Characteristics}}

The Collins class is an enlarged version of the Västergötland class submarine designed by Kockums.Woolner, Procuring Change, p. 7 At {{convert|77.42|m|ft}} in length, with a beam of {{convert|7.8|m|ft}} and a waterline depth of {{convert|7|m|ft}}, displacing 3,051 tonnes when surfaced, and 3,353 tonnes when submerged, they are the largest conventionally powered submarines in the world.Jones, in The Royal Australian Navy, p. 244Wertheirm (ed.), Combat Fleets of the World, p. 18 The hull is constructed from high-tensile micro-alloy steel, and are covered in a skin of anechoic tiles to minimise detection by sonar.Yule & Woolner, The Collins Class Submarine Story, pp. 165–74‘Built in Australia’ Collins rolls out, Jane's Defence Weekly The depth that they can dive to is classified: most sources claim that it is over {{convert|180|m|ft}},Wertheirm (ed.), Combat Fleets of the World, p. 19Grazebrook, RAN prepares for Collins class

The submarine is armed with six {{convert|21|in|mm|adj=on}} 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.SSK Collins Class (Type 471) Attack Submarine, naval-technology.comHeavyweight Torpedo – Mark 48, United States Navy Fact File

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. The electricity generated is stored in batteries, then supplied to a single Jeumont-Schneider DC motor, which provides 7,200 shaft horsepower to a single, seven-bladed, {{convert|4.22|m|ft|adj=on}} diameter skewback propeller.Grazebrook, Collins class comes up Down Under The Collins class has a speed of {{convert|10.5|kn}} when surfaced and at snorkel depth, and can reach {{convert|21|kn}} underwater. The submarines have a range of {{convert|11000|nmi}} at {{convert|10|kn}} when surfaced, {{convert|9000|nmi}} at {{convert|10|kn}} at snorkel depth. When submerged completely, a Collins-class submarine can travel {{convert|32.6|nmi}} at maximum speed, or {{convert|480|nmi}} at {{convert|4|kn}}. Each boat has an endurance of 70 days.

The issues with the Collins class highlighted in the McIntosh-Prescott Report and the pressing need to have combat-ready submarines in the RAN fleet with the pending decommissioning of {{HMAS|Otama||2}}, the final Oberon-class submarine in Australian service, prompted the establishment of an A$1 billion program to bring Sheean and sister boat Dechaineux up to an operational standard as quickly as possible, referred to as the "fast track" or "get well" program.Yule & Woolner, The Collins Class Submarine Story, pp. 288–9 The fast track program required the installation of reliable diesel engines, fixing hydrodynamic noise issues by modifying the hull design and propeller, and providing a functional combat system.Yule & Woolner, The Collins Class Submarine Story, pp. 291–4 The original Rockwell International-designed combat system had been cancelled, but because there wasn't enough time to evaluate the replacement system to include it in the "fast track" program, the two submarines were fitted with components from the old Rockwell system, which were augmented by commercial off-the-shelf hardware and software.Yule & Woolner, The Collins Class Submarine Story, pp. 292–4 Even with the enhanced Rockwell system, it was believed that the capabilities of the fast track Collins boats was only equivalent to the Oberons.Yule & Woolner, The Collins Class Submarine Story, p. 294

Sheean was named for Ordinary Seaman Edward "Teddy" Sheean, who manned an Oerlikon and fired on Japanese aircraft attacking the bathurst-class corvette {{HMAS|Armidale|J240|6}}, dying when the ship sank. After his ship was damaged shortly in the fight, an abandon ship order was called. Teddy, realizing that the men in the water would be massacred by the incoming Japanese zeroes, manned an anti-aircraft gun, successfully downing 3 aircraft. Teddy was last seen still at his gun, continuously firing, even as he was pulled under, stilled strapped to his anti-aircraft gun.Yule & Woolner, The Collins Class Submarine Story, p. 340 Sheean is the only submarine named after an enlisted sailor. The submarine was laid down by Australian Submarine Corporation, on 17 February 1994, launched on 1 May 1999 by Ivy Hayes, Teddy Sheean's sister, and commissioned into the RAN on 23 February 2001.{{Cite web|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-sheean|title = HMAS Sheean}}

File:HMAS Sheean (SSG 77), Fremantle, 2016 (02).jpg, 2016]]

On 14 December 2000, Sheean and Dechaineux arrived at HMAS Stirling, following the completion of sea trials.Yule & Woolner, The Collins Class Submarine Story, p. 298

The submarine participated in RIMPAC 02, where Sheean was able to penetrate the air and surface anti-submarine screens of an eight-ship amphibious task force, then successfully attacked both the amphibious assault ship {{USS|Tarawa|LHA-1|6}} and the dock landing ship {{USS|Rushmore|LSD-47|6}}.Thompson, Lessons not learned, p. 28Field, Prawns, roo end RIMPAC 2002 at Pearl Harbor During two weeks of combat trials in August 2002, Sheean demonstrated that the class was comparable in the underwater warfare role to the Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine {{USS|Olympia|SSN-717|6}}.Nicholson, Collins sub shines in US war game The two submarines traded roles during the exercise and were equally successful in the attacking role, despite Olympia being larger, more powerful, and armed with more advanced torpedoes than Sheean.

In 2006, Sheean was presented with the Gloucester Cup for being the RAN vessel with the greatest overall efficiency over the previous twelve months.Jeffrey, Presentation of the 2007 Gloucester Cup to HMAS Rankin, [speech]

Sheean was docked for a long maintenance period in 2008, but workforce shortages and malfunctions on other submarines requiring urgent attention have drawn this out: RAN and ASC officials predicted in 2010 that she would not be back in service until 2012.Oakes, Two subs out of action for 9 years The maintenance period ended in late 2012, and Sheean spent the rest of the year working back up to operational status.{{cite news |title=This year in review |last=Berry |first=Paul |date=6 December 2012 |work=Navy News |publisher=Directorate of Defence News |pages=6–7}} The submarine was formally returned to service on 23 February 2013.{{cite news|url=http://www.examiner.com.au/story/1321854/hmas-sheean-pays-visit-to-devonport/?cs=12 |title=HMAS Sheean pays visit to Devonport |last=Bird |first=Isabel |date=24 February 2013 |work=The Examiner |accessdate=1 March 2013}}

On 16 July 2013, Sheean was damaged while berthed at the Australian Marine Complex.{{cite news|url=http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/business/a/-/wa/18964479/gorgon-ship-freed-after-sub-smash/ |title=Gorgon ship freed after sub smash |last=Klinger |first=Peter |date=17 September 2013 |work=The West Australian |accessdate=19 September 2013}} Combi Dock III, a cargo ship owned by Danish company Combi Lift and intended to supply the Gorgon gas project, broke free of moorings during a storm, and drifted into the submarine, causing damage to Sheean{{'}}s propeller and steering apparatus. Combi Dock III was impounded by the Australian government until 13 September, when Combi Lift agreed to pay for the damage.

On 21 September 2021 Sheean experienced an emergency during a training exercise when water entered via a pump and the automatic system that is intended to respond to such malfunctions failed. The crew were forced to rapidly bring the submarine to the surface. The Australian Financial Review reported that there were concerns that the submarine's crew had a poor safety culture, and that some members of the crew had requested transfers off the boat due to the trauma they experienced in the accident. The Navy stated that the submarine had experienced a "minor flooding incident" and had not been in danger of sinking, and that it returned to service within a few days of the accident.{{cite news |last1=Tillett |first1=Andrew |title=Crew feared ageing Australian submarine would sink in deep sea mishap |url=https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/crew-feared-ageing-australian-submarine-would-sink-in-deep-sea-mishap-20220506-p5aj3j |access-date=8 May 2022 |work=Australian Financial Review |date=6 May 2022 |language=en}}

{{Reflist}}

;Books

• {{Cite book|last=Davidson |first=Jon |author2=Allibone, Tom |title=Beneath Southern Seas |publisher=University of Western Australia Press |location=Crawley, WA |year=2005 |isbn=1-920694-62-5 |oclc=69242056}}
• {{Cite book|last=Jones |first=Peter |editor=Stevens, David |title=The Royal Australian Navy |series=The Australian Centenary History of Defence |volume=III |year=2001 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=South Melbourne, VIC |isbn=0-19-555542-2 |oclc=50418095 |chapter=A Period of Change and Uncertainty}}
• {{Cite book| last=Thompson |first=Roger |title=Lessons not learned: the U.S. Navy's status quo culture |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, MD |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-59114-865-4 |oclc=76901958 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tqj9ZP8FsJEC}}
• {{Cite book|title=The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems |editor=Wertheim, Eric |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, MD |year=2007 |edition=15th |isbn=978-1-59114-955-2 |oclc=140283156 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TJunjRvplU4C}}
• {{Cite book|last=Yule |first=Peter |author2=Woolner, Derek |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qZ-WlswoHFwC |title=The Collins Class Submarine Story: Steel, Spies and Spin |year=2008 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Port Melbourne, VIC |isbn=978-0-521-86894-5 |oclc=213111359}}

;Journal and news articles

• {{Cite news |last=Field |first=Nick |url=http://www.defence.gov.au/news/navynews/editions/4518/topstories/story15.htm |title=Prawns, roo end RIMPAC 2002 at Pearl Harbor |work=Navy News |publisher=Directorate of Defence Newspapers |date=12 September 2002 |accessdate=21 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090829192950/http://www.defence.gov.au/news/navynews/editions/4518/topstories/story15.htm |archivedate=29 August 2009 }}
• {{Cite journal|last=Grazebrook |first=A.W. |date=1 December 1995 |title=RAN prepares for Collins class |journal=Jane's Navy International |publisher=Jane's Information Group |volume=100 |issue=6}}
• {{Cite journal|last=Grazebrook |first=A.W. |date=1 January 1998 |title=Collins class comes up Down Under |journal=Jane's Navy International |publisher=Jane's Information Group |volume=103 |issue=1}}
• {{Cite journal|date=7 August 1993 |title='Built in Australia' Collins rolls out |journal=Jane's Defence Weekly |publisher=Jane's Information Group |volume=20 |issue=6}}
• {{Cite news|last=Nicholson |first=Brendan |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/10/12/1034222635806.html |title=Collins sub shines in US war game |work=The Age |date=13 October 2002 |accessdate=20 April 2009}}
• {{Cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/two-subs-out-of-action-for-9-years-20100210-nsgh.html |title=Two subs out of action for 9 years |last=Oakes |first=Dan |date=11 February 2010 |work=The Age |accessdate=12 February 2010}}
• {{Cite journal |last=Woolner |first=Derek |date=18 September 2001 |title=Procuring Change: How Kockums was Selected for the Collins Class Submarine |journal=Research Paper |publisher=Department of the Parliamentary Library |location=Canberra |volume=2001–02 |issue=4 |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rp/2001-02/02RP04.pdf |accessdate=24 April 2009 |issn=1328-7478 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013123556/http://www.aph.gov.au/Library/pubs/rp/2001-02/02RP04.pdf |archivedate=13 October 2010 }}

;Other media

• {{Cite speech |title=Presentation of the 2007 Gloucester Cup to HMAS Rankin |first=Michael |last=Jeffery |authorlink=Michael Jeffery (Australian Army officer) |date=8 April 2008 |location=HMAS Stirling, WA |url=http://www.gg.gov.au/governorgeneral/speech.php?id=407 |accessdate=26 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090829120936/http://www.gg.gov.au/governorgeneral/speech.php?id=407 |archivedate=29 August 2009 }}
• {{Cite web|url=http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/collins/ |title=SSK Collins Class (Type 471) Attack Submarine |work=Industry Projects, naval-technology.com |publisher=SPG Media |accessdate=20 April 2009}}

{{Commonscat|HMAS Sheean (SSG 77)}}

• {{Cite web|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-sheean |title=HMAS Sheean |accessdate=1 January 2013 |publisher=Royal Australian Navy}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090830015344/http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/1999/ss0199.html Speech at the launch]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110313070034/http://www.navy.gov.au/Ordinary_Seaman_Edward_Sheean Biography of Edward "Teddy" Shean]

{{Australian submarines}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheean, Hmas}}

Category:Collins-class submarines

Category:Ships built in South Australia

Category:1999 ships

Category:Submarines of Australia

Category:Military Units in Western Australia