The ESP is a two way process in which:

• Personnel can make an informed decision as to their suitability for submarine service; and
• The member’s suitability for submarine service will be assessed.

Once you have been assessed as suitable at the ESP, you will return to HMAS Cerberus for Basic Seamanship training. At the end of this training instead of joining the surface fleet directly, you will be posted to the Submarine Training and Systems Centre to undertake your submarine specialisation training.

Duration: 4 weeks

This course is completed by all Seaman Branch sailors and covers all aspects of basic seamanship, including:

• Boatwork - crew, maintenance and navigation of power boats;
• Rigging - working all types of cordage and wire ropes, understanding splicing, maintenance of all forms of rigging, blocks, slips and shackles;
• Anchorwork - maintenance of ships and boats anchors and cables, and acting as a member of a ship's cable party;
• Helmsmanship - steering the ship;
• Ships Husbandry - cleanliness and maintenance of all parts of a ship (except machinery spaces);
• General - a working knowledge of ship organisation, routines, survival at sea and Rule of the Road for the prevention of collision at sea; and
• Evolutions - Towing, Heavy Jackstays, Light Jackstays, Man Overboard and Probe Refuelling evolutions are practiced.

Initial Collins Class Course (ICCC)

Duration: 5 weeks

Consists of a series of Computer based and instructor based modules that introduces the students to the construction, systems and inter-relationships that make up the submarine. The students also undertake Submarine Fire-fighting and Submarine Escape during this 5 week period.

AWASM Training

Duration: 15 WEEKS

The course covers those aspects of passive sonar design, construction and operation that are essential to maintaining acoustic awareness and is designed to give the student the requisite knowledge to undertake their job as part of the submarine technical and tactical departments.

The course covers:

Basic theory of acoustics and under water sound, sonar theory, construction of a sonar, theory on propulsion, power plants and auxiliary power plants, active sonar theory, oceanography and weather, aural classification, narrowband analysis and introduction to brief preparation & presentation.

Further information is available on the Submariner pages.