100 years of Aussie submarines

The National Maritime Museum has launched three years of celebrations for Australia s history of submarines.

Stealthily they slide beneath the waves, their crews crammed in like sardines; the soft ping-ping of sonar their chilling visiting card.

It's been almost 100 years since submarines first surfaced in Australia and now experts hope a three-year program of celebrations and events designed to mark the centenary will spark renewed interest in these underwater predators.

Launched at the National Maritime Museum in Sydney, the celebrations will culminate in 2014 - 100 years after the 1914 arrival in Sydney of the nation's first submarines, the British-built HMAS AE1 and HMAS AE2.

Both vessels fought in World War I.

HMAS AE1 sank without trace with the loss of 32 sailors and three officers during active service in September 1914.

It was the Royal Australian Navy's first major tragedy.

HMAS AE2 was lost off the Turkish coast in April 1915.

It sank during active service just days after the Gallipoli campaign began.

Modern-day submarines are a far cry from those pioneers, and their ongoing use by the Australian Defence Force will form a central part of the centenary celebrations.

'Submarines have served Australia well over the past 100 years and will be increasingly important in the Asia Pacific century,' Submarine Institute of Australia (SIA) executive director Steve Davies said.

'Australian submarines operate undetected throughout our region and exploit the advantage of surprise, delivering a sting that is disproportionate to their size.'

Defence secretary Senator David Feeney launched the Centenary of Australian Submarines celebrations at the Maritime Museum on Wednesday morning, unveiling a new commemorative logo and a DVD charting submarine history.

Guests of honour included relatives of those who served onboard HMAS AE1 and AE2.