HMAS Waller

HMAS Waller (S75) honors Captain Hector "Hec" Waller, who went down with his ship, HMAS Perth (I), during the 1942 Battle of Sunda Strait. Known for his "tenacity" (which became the submarine's motto), Waller engaged a massive Japanese invasion fleet at point-blank range until his ammunition was exhausted. In a unique modern milestone, HMAS Waller was the first Australian submarine to successfully live-fire a Mark 48 ADCAP torpedo, proving the class's lethal strike capability.

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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