June 14 (UPI) -- Australia's submarine fleet will receive sonar system upgrades with a $173 million contract with Thales Australia, the the company and Minister for the Defense Industry Christopher Pyne announced on Thursday.
The contract is part of a $407 million project approved by the Australian government to improve the sensor capabilities of the country's Collins Class, six diesel-electric motor submarine fleet. Work will begin later this year at Thales' Rydalmere facility in western Sydney. About 70 percent of the overall work, which will directly create over 140 jobs, will be of Australian industry content.