HMAS Onslow

Venture into the secret world of submarine warfare on HMAS Onslow.

Our submarine was decommissioned in 1999, just weeks before coming to the museum. It's still close to operational condition. So, if you go onboard, listen out for the diving alarm!

With 5 other Oberons, Onslow gave the Royal Australian Navy a formidable submarine force. The motto of the navy's submarine arm is "Strength, silence, surprise".

This explains many of Onslow's characteristics, including:

• a diving chamber for Special Forces to leave the boat for covert operations
• a gash ejector containing weighted rubbish (gash) bags. When ejected, the bags sink to the ocean floor so no debris floats to give away the submarine's position
• soundproofing on all equipment to make Oberons one of the quietest class of submarines ever built.

Onslow has travelled the equivalent of more than 16 times around the world, serving Australia with quiet distinction for 30 years.

Explore the danger and drama of life on board Onslow in Action Stations, our immersive experience.

Onslow is an Oberon class submarine

Laid down	1967
Launched	1968
Commissioned	1969
Decommissioned	1999
Transferred by the Department of Defence to National Maritime Museum	1999

 

Length	89.90 m (295 ft)
Beam	8.07 m (26.5 ft)
Built	Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Co, Greenock, Scotland
Propulsion	Two mechanically supercharged Admiralty Standard Range diesel generators with two English Electric propulsion motors
Speed	15 knots + submerged; 12 knots surfaced
Maximum depth	Over 190 metres
Complement	60 sailors, 8 officers
Armament	Six 21-inch bow torpedo tubes capable of launching anti-ship and anti-submarine Mk 48 torpedoes, and anti-ship UGM-84 Harpoon missiles
Pendant	60