View source for HMAS Orion

{{Use Australian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Ship country = Australia
| image = HMAS ORION BADGE.jpg
| Ship flag = {{Shipboxflag|Australia|naval}}
| Ship namesake = The [[Orion (constellation)|constellation Orion]]
| Ship builder = [[Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company]]
| Ship laid down = 6 October 1972
| Ship launched = 16 September 1974
| Ship commissioned = 15 June 1977
| Ship decommissioned = 4 October 1996
| Ship homeport = {{HMAS|Platypus|naval base|6}}, [[New South Wales]]
| Ship motto = *''Orbe Circumcincto''
*Latin: "All around the world"
| Ship nickname = 
| Ship fate = Sold for scrap 2006
| Ship badge = 
| Ship honours = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Ship class = {{sclass|Oberon|submarine}}
| Ship displacement = *1,610&nbsp;tons standard
*2,030&nbsp;tons surfaced
*2,410&nbsp;tons submerged
| Ship length = {{convert|295.2|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|26.5|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship draught = {{convert|18|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion = *2 × Admiralty Standard Range supercharged V16 diesel generators
*2 × English Electric motors
*3,500&nbsp;bhp, 4,500&nbsp;shp
*2 shafts
| Ship speed = *{{convert|12|kn}} surfaced
*{{convert|17|kn}} submerged
*{{convert|11|kn}} at snorkel depth
| Ship range = {{convert|9000|nmi}} at {{convert|12|kn}}
| Ship test depth = {{convert|200|m}}
| Ship complement = *'''As launched:'''
*8 officers, 56 sailors
*'''At decommissioning:'''
*8 officers, 60 sailors
| Ship sensors = *'''Sonar:'''
*Atlas Elektronik Type CSU3-41 bow array
*BAC Type 2007 flank array
*Sperry [[BQG-4]] Micropuffs rangefinding array
*Sonartech PIPRS intercept processor
*'''Radar:'''
*Kelvin Hughes Type 1006
| Ship EW = Telegon radar and communications intercept
| Ship armament = *'''Torpedo tubes:'''
*6 × {{convert|21|in|cm|adj=on}} bow tubes
*2 × short-length {{convert|21|in|cm|adj=on}} stern tubes (later removed)
*'''1996 payload:''' Mix of 20:
*[[Mark 48 torpedo|Mark 48 Mod 4]] torpedoes
*[[Boeing Harpoon|UGM-84 Sub Harpoon]] missiles
| Badge 
[[thumb]] = =
| Ship notes = =
}}
|}
'''HMAS ''Orion'' (S 61)''' was an {{sclass|Oberon|submarine}} of the [[Royal Australian Navy]] (RAN). One of six submarines ordered by the RAN during the 1960s, ''Orion'', named after the [[Orion (constellation)|constellation]] in a break from ship-naming tradition, was built in Scotland and commissioned in 1977. ''Orion'' was one of two Oberon-class submarines designed for intelligence gathering and conducted regular patrols in Soviet, Indian and Chinese waters to gather information regarding enemy capabilities.

''Orion'' was decommissioned in 1996, marked for disposal in 2003, and broken up for scrap in 2006. Several sections of the submarine remain intact as memorials and museum pieces.

==Design and construction==
{{main|Oberon-class submarine}}
The ''Oberon'' class was based heavily on the preceding [[British Porpoise-class submarine|''Porpoise'' class]] of submarines, with changes made to improve the vessels' hull integrity, sensor systems, and stealth capabilities.<ref name=compedium>Chant, ''A Compedium of Armaments and Military Hardware'', pp. 167–8</ref> Eight submarines were ordered for the RAN, in two batches of four.<ref name=Cooper188>Cooper, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 188</ref> The first batch was approved in 1963, and the second batch (including ''Orion'') was approved during the late 1960s, although two of these were cancelled before construction started in 1969, with the funding redirected to the [[Fleet Air Arm (RAN)|Fleet Air Arm]].<ref name=Cooper194>Cooper, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 194</ref><ref>Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', pp. 394–5</ref> This was the fourth time the RAN had attempted to establish a [[Royal Australian Navy Submarine Service|submarine branch]].<ref name=OxCom399>Dennis et al., ''The Oxford Companion to Australian Military history'', p. 399</ref>

The submarine was {{convert|295.2|ft}} long, with a [[Beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|26.5|ft}}, and a [[Draught (hull)|draught]] of {{convert|18|ft}} when surfaced.<ref name=Janes96>Sharpe (ed.), ''Jane's Fighting Ships, 1996–1997'', p. 23</ref> At full load [[Displacement (nautical)|displacement]], she displaced 2,030&nbsp;tons when surfaced, and 2,410&nbsp;tons when submerged.<ref name=Janes96/> The two propeller shafts were each driven by an English Electric motor providing 3,500&nbsp;[[brake horsepower]] and 4,500&nbsp;[[shaft horsepower]]; the electricity for these was generated by two Admiralty Standard Range supercharged V16 diesel generators.<ref name=Shaw15>Shaw, ''HMAS Onslow'', p. 15</ref> The submarine could travel at up to {{convert|12|kn}} on the surface, and up to {{convert|17|kn}} when submerged, had a maximum range of {{convert|9000|nmi}} at {{convert|12|kn}}, and a [[test depth]] of {{convert|200|m}} below sea level.<ref name=Janes96/><ref name=Shaw15/> When launched, the boat had a company of 8 officers and 56 sailors, but by the time she decommissioned, the number of sailors had increased to 60.<ref name=Janes96/><ref name=Shaw15/> In addition, up to 16 trainees could be carried.<ref name=Shaw15/> A small number of non-RAN personnel, most often from the [[Australian Signals Directorate|Defence Signals Directorate]], were also present during some intelligence gathering missions.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Cat and Mouse|last=Garfield|first=John|publisher=Reveille|year=2006|location=New South Wales|pages=42, 43|via=Returned Services League}}</ref>

The main armament of the ''Oberon''s consisted of six {{convert|21|in|mm|1|adj=on}} torpedo tubes.<ref name=compedium/> The [[British 21-inch torpedo#21-inch Mark VIII|British Mark 8 torpedo]] was initially carried by the submarine; this was later replaced by the [[Wire-guided torpedo|wire-guided]] [[British 21-inch torpedo#21-inch Mark 23 Grog|Mark 23]].<ref name=Shaw21>Shaw, ''HMAS Onslow'', p. 21</ref> Between 1977 and 1985,{{Clarify|more specific dates for this boat required|date=July 2011}} the Australian ''Oberons'' were upgraded to carry United States Navy [[Mark 48 torpedo]]es and [[Boeing Harpoon|UGM-84 Sub Harpoon]] anti-ship missiles.<ref name=OxCom399/><ref name=Sharpe22/> As of 1996, the standard payload of an Australian ''Oberon'' was a mix of 20 Mark 48 Mod 4 torpedoes and Sub Harpoon missiles.<ref name=Janes96/> Some or all of the torpedo payload could be replaced by [[Stonefish (mine)|Mark 5 Stonefish]] sea mines, which were deployed through the torpedo tubes.<ref name=Shaw21/> On entering service, two stern-mounted, short-length {{convert|21|in|cm|adj=on}} torpedo tubes for Mark 20 anti-submarine torpedoes were fitted.<ref name=Shaw19/> However, the development of steerable wire-guided torpedoes made the less-capable aft-firing torpedoes redundant; they were closed off, and later removed during a refit.<ref name=Shaw19>Shaw, ''HMAS Onslow'', p. 19</ref>

''Orion'' was laid down by [[Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company]] at [[Greenock, Scotland]] on 6 October 1972, launched on 16 September 1974, and commissioned into the RAN on 15 June 1977.<ref name=Sharpe22>Sharpe (ed.), ''Jane's Fighting Ships 1992–93'', p. 22</ref> The submarine was due to enter service in 1975, but faulty high-power electrical cabling had been installed in ''Orion'' and sister boat {{HMAS|Otama||2}}; stripping out and replacing the cabling delayed each submarine's construction by two years.<ref name=Owen31>Owen, in Mitchell, ''Australian Maritime Issues 2010'', p. 31</ref> The delay meant that the two boats could be fitted with [[Passive Underwater Fire Control Feasibility System|Micropuffs]] rangefinding sonar during construction, and have additional electronic surveillance equipment installed.<ref name=Owen32.3>Owen, in Mitchell, ''Australian Maritime Issues 2010'', pp. 32–3</ref> ''Orion''{{'}}s name comes from the [[Orion (constellation)|constellation Orion]]: although a name with strong links to the Royal Navy (with six vessels operating as {{HMS|Orion}}), this was a break from the RAN's traditional use of the names of explorers and pioneers for submarines.<ref>Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 394</ref> The submarine's motto of "Orbe Circumcincto" (Latin for "All around the world") refers to the visibility of the constellation from any point on Earth.<ref name=SummitSun>''Orion set to become a reality in Jindabyne'', in ''Summit Sun''</ref>

==Operational history==
''Orion'' was the first ever Australian vessel to visit a German port. On her delivery voyage from Scotland in 1978, ''Orion'' recorded communications and any other signals emitted from [[Libyan Navy]] vessels around the ports of Tripoli, Benghazi, Darnah and Tobruk at the request of the United Kingdom and the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/secret-spy-missions-forced-to-the-surface/2006/09/07/1157222265317.html?page=2|title=Secret spy missions forced to the surface|last=Nicholson|first=Brendan|date=8 September 2006|website=The Age|publisher=Fairfax Digital|access-date=25 December 2016}}</ref>

As ''Orion'' and ''Otama'' were fitted with specialist intelligence gathering equipment, they were regularly deployed on surveillance and spying operations, earning them the nickname "Mystery Boats".<ref name="Owens103.5">Owens, in ''Centenary of Australian Submarines'', pp. 103-5</ref><ref name="SealBlake85">Seal & Blake, ''Century of Silent Service'', p. 85</ref> Activities were part of the broader Western nations' intelligence-gathering apparatus, and included surveillance off the coasts of China, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia, tailing of [[Soviet Pacific Fleet]] units during operations in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and observation off the Soviet base at [[Vladivostok]].<ref name="Owens103.5" /><ref name="SealBlake85" /> These activities continued until the end of the [[Cold War]] in 1992, and most of ''Orion''{{'}}s activities and deployments during this period remain classified.<ref name="Owens103.5" /> The first captain of ''Orion,'' Commander Rob Woolrych [[Order of the British Empire|<small>MBE</small>]], stated that ''Orion'' and ''Otama'' conducted sixteen intelligence-gathering missions during their service between March 1978 to December 1992. Each mission was under the command of the [[Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)|Chief of the Defence Force]], authorised by the [[Minister for Defence (Australia)|Minister for Defence]] and conducted with the knowledge of the [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]]. Regular patrols were conducted for six to eight weeks. On occasion, ''Orion'' and ''Otama'' would dock in British naval facilities in Singapore or Hong Kong for refuelling and maintenance.

''Orion'' and ''Otama'' would remain just off the horizon—around five nautical miles from a target—at periscope depth to observe surroundings and record information during operations close to enemy waters. Batteries which powered the submarines would be recharged during the night and intelligence gathering took place during daylight hours. The submarine was equipped with passive sonar hydrophones which allowed it to record signatures from Soviet vessels, identifying the capabilities of each individual vessel.<ref name=":0" />

On 27 September 1980, the officers and crew of ''Orion'' were granted the Freedom of the City of Wollongong in perpetuity. In 1987, ''Orion'' was awarded the [[Gloucester Cup (RAN)|Gloucester Cup]], for being the RAN vessel demonstrating the greatest overall efficiency over the previous twelve months.<ref name=DA204>Davidson & Allibone, ''Beneath Southern Seas'', p. 204</ref> ''Orion'' was the last submarine to receive the Cup until 2005, when it was presented to the {{sclass|Collins|submarine|0}} submarine {{HMAS|Rankin|SSG 78|6}}.<ref name=DA204/> Like a number of other ''Oberon''-class submarines, ''Orion'' carried out many special operation deployments during her service which qualified those crew members for the [[Australian Service Medal]], with Special Operations clasp. Conducted between 1978 and 1992, these operations involved intelligence-gathering missions off the coasts of [[Vietnam]], [[Indonesia]], [[China]] and [[India]], primarily targeting the [[Soviet Navy]] during the [[Cold War]].<ref>{{cite news |title=The Mystery Boats |author=Geoffrey Barker |url=http://www.upperiscope.com.au/miscellaneous/The%20mystery%20boats.html |newspaper=Australian Financial Review Magazine |date=28 November 2003 |page=16 |access-date=9 August 2013 |archive-date=25 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140125202555/http://upperiscope.com.au/miscellaneous/The%20mystery%20boats.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Decommissioning and fate==
[[File:HMAS Orion memorial, Rockingham Naval Memorial Park, March 2020.jpg|thumb|HMAS Orion memorial at [[Rockingham Naval Memorial Park]]]]
''Orion'' paid off into reserve at [[Garden Island, Western Australia]] in 1996. She remained there for several years, until she was marked for disposal as scrap in September 2003.<ref name=NNscrap>{{cite news |url=http://www.defence.gov.au/news/navynews/editions/4713/topstories/story15.htm |title=Sub set for scrap heap |first=Graham |last=Davis |work=Navy News |date=29 June 2004 |access-date=20 September 2008}}</ref> Efforts to hand her over to a state government for preservation as a [[museum ship]] or sinking as a [[dive wreck]] failed, and submissions for disposal companies were closed off on 6 August 2004.<ref name=NNscrap/> The submarine was sold for [[ship breaking|scrapping]],<ref name=OxCom399/> and was broken up by [[Tenix]] at [[Henderson, Western Australia]] in December 2006. The [[Sail (submarine)|fin]] was given to the City of Rockingham and is now mounted as a permanent memorial at [[Rockingham Naval Memorial Park]]. The port propeller was donated to the [[Western Australia Maritime Museum]].

In November 2011, authorisation was granted to establish a new [[Australian Naval Cadets]] unit in [[Jindabyne, New South Wales]], named New Training Ship (NTS) ''Orion'' after the submarine.<ref name=SummitSun/> In addition to the name, the cadet unit will use ''Orion''{{'}}s [[ship's badge|badge]] and motto.<ref name=SummitSun/>

==Citations==
{{reflist}}

==References==
===Books===
*{{cite book |last=Bastock |first=John |title=Australia's Ships of War |year=1975 |publisher=Angus and Robertson |location=Cremorne, NSW |isbn=0-207-12927-4 |oclc=2525523}}
*{{cite book |last=Chant |first=Christopher |title=A Compedium of Armaments and Military Hardware |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k9cNAAAAQAAJ
|access-date=30 July 2008 |year=1987 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=0-7102-0720-4 }}
*{{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=Cooper |first=Alastair |editor=Stevens, David |title=The Royal Australian Navy |series=The Australian Centenary History of Defence (vol III) |year=2001 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=South Melbourne, VIC |isbn=0-19-554116-2 |oclc=50418095}}
*{{cite book |last=Owen |first=Bill |title=Australian Maritime Issues 2010 |editor=Mitchell, Rhett |publisher=Sea Power Centre – Australia |year=2011 |series=Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs |volume=35 |pages=25–33 |chapter=Submarines in Australia, 1949–1979 |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/PIAMA35.pdf |access-date=6 March 2012 |isbn=978-0-642-29757-0 |issn=1327-5658 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227141238/http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/PIAMA35.pdf |archive-date=27 February 2012 |url-status=dead }}
*{{cite book|last1=Seal |first1=Graham |last2=Blake |first2=Lloyd |title=Century of Silent Service |publisher=Boolarong Press |location=Moorooka, QLD |date=2014 |isbn=9781922109897|oclc=848305716|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t9IeAwAAQBAJ |access-date=24 April 2015}}
*{{cite book |editor=Sharpe, Richard |title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1992–93 |publisher=Jane's Information Group |location=Surrey, UK |year=1992 |edition=95th |isbn=0-7106-0983-3 |oclc=25930144}}
*{{cite book |editor=Sharpe, Richard |title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1996–97 |publisher=Jane's Information Group |location=Surrey |date=March 1996 |edition=99th |isbn=0-7106-1355-5 |oclc=34998928 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/janesfightingshi0099unse }}
*{{cite book |last=Shaw |first=Lindsey |year=2005 |title=HMAS Onslow: cold war warrior |publisher=Australian National Maritime Museum |location=Sydney, NSW |isbn=0-9751428-4-4 |oclc=225390609}}
*{{cite book |title=Centenary of Australian Submarines |publisher=RnR Publishing (on behalf of the Submarine Institute of Australia and Submarines Association Australia)|location=Martinborough, New Zealand|date=2014 |isbn=9780473298142 }}
**{{cite book |last=Owen |first=William |title=Centenary of Australian Submarines |chapter=The Mystery Boats}}

===News articles===
*{{cite news |url=http://www.summitsun.com.au/news/local/news/general/orion-set-to-become-a-reality-in-jindabyne/2465231.aspx |title=Orion set to become a reality in Jindabyne |date=23 February 2012 |work=Summit Sun |access-date=25 February 2012}}

{{Oberon class submarine}}
{{Australian submarines}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orion (S 71)}}
[[Category:Oberon-class submarines of the Royal Australian Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Clyde]]
[[Category:1974 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company]]