HMAS Rankin

The final boat, HMAS Rankin (S78), is named after Lieutenant Commander Robert Rankin, who died in 1942 while commanding the sloop HMAS Yarra. In an act of incredible bravery, Rankin steered his small vessel directly toward a superior Japanese cruiser force to draw fire away from a convoy he was escorting. The submarine’s motto, "Defend the Weak," reflects this final act of chivalry. Rankin is affectionately known as the "Brown Boat" within the fleet, a tongue-in-cheek reference to her historically high operational availability compared to her older sisters.

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The Collins-class guided-missile submarines were the first vessels of their kind to be entirely designed and built in Australia, representing a landmark achievement in domestic naval engineering. Based on an enlarged version of the Swedish Type 471 design by Kockums, the six submarines were specifically tailored for the vast distances and varied environments of the Indo-Pacific. Despite early technical challenges, a series of comprehensive "niche" upgrades to their sonar suites and the adoption of the US Navy’s AN/BYG-1 weapons control system have maintained their status as some of the most capable conventional (non-nuclear) submarines in the world. Known for their extreme stealth and long range, they serve as Australia's primary deterrent, capable of intelligence gathering, surveillance, and anti-surface warfare.

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