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The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on Saturday commissioned the sixth and final Collins-class diesel attack submarine, HMAS Rankin, built by the Australian Submarine Corp. (ASC).
"Commissioning of HMAS Rankin marks a significant milestone in what arguably has been Australia's most technologically complex industrial undertaking," Australia's Department of Defence said in a statement. "Australian-built Collins-class submarines are now competing with the world's best--they have performed superbly against U.S. nuclear submarines in recent exercises, and in operational work over the last year they have been exceptionally capable."
ASC, originally a joint venture between the Australian government and Sweden's Kockums Naval Systems, was first awarded the contract in 1987 to build the Collins-class submarines, with HMAS Collins commissioned in 1996. Collins was followed by HMAS Farncomb in 1998, HMAS Sheean...