Japan will participate in the competition to provide the Royal Australian Navy with a new submarine
(Defensa.com) The Security Council of Japan has approved the participation of Japanese companies in the competitive process that will take place in Australia for the selection of a new submarine. Secretary Yoshihide Suga Japanese government confirmed the decision of the Security Council under the important defense cooperation between Australia and Japan. Earlier this month, Australian Defense Minister Kevin Andrews made contact with his Japanese counterpart to encourage Japan to participate in the assessment process.
As we have been reporting on defensa.com, conventionally powered submarine Soryu Japanese construction is preferred by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), in fact negotiations are developing in a while. In the context of these close relations, Japan would be prepared to allow access to technical information Australia senior submarine Soryu. However, in February the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced the planned acquisition of the twelve submarines will be held in the framework of or "competitive evaluation process", so the door for other shipbuilding countries participate is open confirming the participation of companies from France and Germany.
The 1000 Australian Sea program aims to replace the six Collins class submarines into service in the RAN for up to twelve new submarines of modern design. Initial plans called for the direct election of the Japanese submarine through an agreement of co-manufacturing in Australia or purchased directly from the manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. But the pressure from the opposition to the government and the Australian shipyards forced the government to open a competitive process in which Australian shipyards aim to make the model chosen.
The Australian government announced long ago that he intended to build submarines in Australia, but the public shipyard ASC has been criticized for cost overruns and program delays AWD destroyers. ASC made an assessment of its offer twelve submarines amounting to between 18,000 and 24,000 million dollars, figures that are considered very optimistic. Meanwhile, the bottom line would be the intention of the Executive to privatize the yard and transfer the problems to a foreign industrial group, a role that could fall on any of those who are interested in the submarine program, as the French DCNS, the TKMS German or Swedish Saab by Kockums.
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