The general public perception of the Collins class submarines is that they have been an enormously expensive disaster. The authors have not encountered a single person without links to the military who has a positive view of their performance. Most people are convinced they are noisy and many express surprise that they are still in service. Almost everybody recalls newspaper headlines such as ‘Dud subs’ and ‘Noisy as a rock concert’, and there is a universal belief that the project ran far over budget.

The totally negative view of the submarines is the result of a barrage of bad publicity they received, beginning in 1994 and rising to a crescendo in 1997 and 1998. In February 1994 the Adelaide Advertiser ran a front page story claiming that Collins had ‘lumps in its hull which could seriously impair its performance’ and also giving credence to ‘persistent rumours that HMAS Collins is plagued with serious problems’ including hull leaks and poor quality steel. As with most media reports during the mid to late 1990s, this report was a mixture of truth, exaggeration and fiction. It also began a pattern of media reports based on leaks from ASC, the navy and the government, reflecting an increasing disharmony in the project.