Summary The program to design and build the Collins class submarine has become one of the most complex and expensive defense procurement programs in history. It was designed to replace the current fleet of Oberon submarines. The Collins Class Submarine program demonstrated the ability of Australian industry to produce a world-class submarine. However, the acquisition of the Collins-class submarines was not without criticism. The program encountered several project management issues that ultimately led to increased costs and delays. This report will address these issues along with traditional key performance indicators (KPIs) and non-traditional KPIs and their interrelationships.1.0 IntroductionThe Collins class is a class of six Australian-built diesel-electric submarines operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The Collins class submarines are designed for long-range maritime patrol and response, maritime strike and support. The Defense Corporate Plan 1996-2000 states that the introduction into service of the Collins class submarine is a key strategy in achieving Defence's key objective of making the Australian Defense Force (ADF) capable of defeating any attack, which could credibly be pitched against Australia. Project Office was created in 1982 and a contract with the Australian Submarine Corporation Pty Ltd (ASC) was signed in June 1987. The first submarine, HMAS Collins, was launched in August 1993. This was a significant achievement for ASC and its subcontractors as the manufacturing program began at widely separated sites in 1987 and ran in parallel with system design and development (ANAO, 1998).2.0 Quality2.1 Designing the Collins ClassThe Collins Class... a middle of paper... The Collins class submarines used cutting edge technology and were designed specifically for Australia's special needs. Despite all the issues discussed, the project achieved some significant achievements in project management, engineering and construction which in many ways demonstrate the ability of the Australian industry to produce world-class submarines. Meanwhile, many of the mechanical, technical and combat system problems of the Collins-class submarines have now been resolved. The latest analysis indicates that the availability of submarines for deployment has increased significantly (ABC, 2014). However, the actual procurement process was risky because it had unclear objectives, unrealistic expectations, adopted untested construction processes, and was dominated by inexperienced supervision and management..