COMMENT
This is a preliminary,
for the record, post on what the current
Coalition (noting yesterday’s news) Government of Australian Prime
Minister Morrison said. This is regarding the February 11, 2019, Australian Future Submarine
Program Strategic Partnering Agreement (SPA).
Further comment and analysis, at Submarine Matters, will follow next week,
noting the Australian
Government will almost certainly be out of office on
May 18, 2019, if not before with a new Labor Party Government in office.
A rapid change of Government, just after
the SPA is signed, will weaken the legitimacy of the SPA.
As usual I've added comments in [...] brackets, links and some bolding for emphasis.
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MEDIA RELEASE:11 Feb 2019: Prime Minister
[Morrison], Minister for Defence, Minister for Defence Industry https://www.pm.gov.au/media/government-delivers-future-submarine-program
“A key plank of the Government’s plan
to keep Australians safe has been locked in with the signing of the Attack
class submarine Strategic Partnering Agreement with Naval Group.
The $50 billion Attack class program
will see 12 regionally superior [but inferior to SSNs] submarines designed and built in Australia for
the Navy.
The formal signing of the Agreement
is a defining moment for the country.
The submarines will help protect
Australia’s security and prosperity for decades to come and also deepen the
defence relationship between Australia and France.
Work on the submarines has taken
place under the Design and Mobilisation Contract and this will continue
uninterrupted under this Agreement.
Our Government is committed to
maximising local industry involvement in the program to ensure Australians get
the most out of this important national investment.
It’s estimated the program will
generate an annual average of around 2,800
jobs, helping end the ‘valley of death’ in naval shipbuilding jobs we
inherited from the Labor Party.
Work continues to deliver the first
Attack class submarine, to be named HMAS Attack, in the early 2030s within
budget.
The formalisation of this agreement
represents the contractual basis for the program.
The decision to partner with Naval
Group (formerly DCNS) was made in 2016, following a competitive evaluation
process commenced by our Government after the Labor Party failed to commission
even one single new ship for our Navy. During the negotiations, the Government
focused on delivering an equitable and enduring agreement in the interests of
our nation.
Other activities required to deliver
this major program, including the development of the submarine construction
yard at Osborne in South Australia, are continuing.
The Attack class submarines are a
major pillar of our $90 billion National Shipbuilding Plan, which will see 54
naval vessels built in Australia, to meet the strategic requirements set out in
our 2016 Defence White Paper and giving our Navy the edge it needs in an
uncertain world.”
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COMMENT
Below is an abridged version of the Transcript deleting most of Morrison’s vacuous embellishments. After all, it is a business deal. Morrison did not need to be part of the event given neither the French President nor the French Prime Minister were there. But
perhaps the SPA is Morrison’s Swan
song before taking a related post political career position?
A submarine deal does not maketh a defence alliance with France, particularly since some French companies supply/have supplied weapons and components to China.]
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PRIME MINISTER MORRISON TRANSCRIPT, 11 Feb 2019, Russell [DoD] Offices, Canberra https://www.pm.gov.au/media/remarks-strategic-partnership-signing.
PRIME MINISTER [said]: ...I also extend a very warm welcome to [French Armed Forces] Minister Florence Parly, it’s
wonderful to have you here with us today. I know you’ve made a special effort
to be here with us today...
To his Excellency [French Ambassador
to Australia] Christophe
Penot, thank you very much for all of your efforts in bringing us to this
point today, working so closely....To my ministerial colleagues who are joining
us today, particularly the Minister for Defence Christopher Pyne,
congratulations Christopher on your stewardship of this....
What that means is that ensuring we
are at the front of the pack when it comes to the latest naval vessels and
firepower. As part of our Government's plan to keep Australians safe, we’re
celebrating a milestone today with the next phase of our Future Submarine
Program. In 2016 the Government selected France and Naval Group as our
international partners to deliver a 12 strong fleet of cutting-edge submarines,
as we promised to do. The signing today of the Strategic Partnership Agreement
to deliver these submarines underscores the longstanding and strategic
partnership between Australia and France.
...It’s more than a contract.
This is a project that will not only
keep Australians safe, but it will deliver Australian jobs. It will build
Australian skills. It will be made and require Australian steel....
Our Government is committed to
maximising Australian industry content in the Future Submarine Program...
Hundreds of Australians are already
employed on the Future Submarines Program and thousands more will be through
the supply chain during the construction phase. So, as pleased as I know
Premier Marshall is about the jobs in South Australia, these jobs reach right
across our great continent.
The signing of this agreement today
demonstrates our Government is delivering on our promise on the naval
shipbuilding plan. It is a $90 billion commitment to build in total 54 new
naval vessels and grow a strong, sustainable and sovereign Australian naval
shipbuilding industry.
...Our region, which we keep secure,
in close partnership with our valued allies. So we are delivering for our Navy,
our nation and our people as we promised. We are delivering for our defence
industry and jobs and we are delivering on our steadfast commitment to keep
Australians safe and secure.
I conclude by thanking again all of
those who have brought us to this point today, but I particularly want to
commend Ministers Pyne and Parly for the wonderful working relationship they've
had to bring us to where they are today and look forward to that
relationship continuing into the future as we get this done. Thank you.”
Pyne and Morrison pleased with themselves, while Parly pensive. Note submarine model has that controversial pump jet which France most probably won't be supplying.
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Next is a Submarine
Matters article with Naval Group comments on the SPA.
Pete
Pete have you missed this?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2019/02/11/naval-group-clinches-35-billion-australian-submarine-deal/
/Kjell
Thanks /Kjell
ReplyDeleteI'm looking at https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2019/02/11/naval-group-clinches-35-billion-australian-submarine-deal/ and many other articles on what the French/Naval Group may think of the SPA deal.
More tomorrow and next week.
Regards
Pete
jack commented
ReplyDelete[former Australian Prime Minister] John Howard also awarded billions of dollars of defense contracts a few months before he stepped down, including but not limited to the AWD (air warfare destroyer) order.
Thanks Jack
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting whether the future Labor Government will continue the Coalition momentum of continuous shipbuilding.
Or will Labor again worry about negotiating with Labor supporting shipbuilding UNIONS to
the extent Labor concludes "its all too hard" and grinds all that Coalition good work to a halt.
Regards
Pete
The comment in brackets in the article re SSN being superior is not necessarily correct. The 3 main advantages of SSN is range, speed & ability to stay submerged longer. The downsides are a nuclear reactor that you are going to have to deal with for hundreds of years, a heat plume visible in shallow water & a tendency to be noisy. SSK are slower, cannot stay submerged as long & shorter range. They are also quieter (when operating on batteries), no heat plume so can operate easier in shallow waters & are capable of going dead quite for a considerable period of time. SSNs cannot stop their cooling pumps for an extended period of time or the reactor will overheat. If you want to operate in the shallow water to the north of us, or close to shore anywhere, SSK is the better option. Want to operate in the deap waters of the Indian & Pacific oceans, SSN has the advantage. There are reasons why USN has had great difficulty detecting Japanese, Australian & Swedish submarines in exercises. They got so embarrassed they hired a Swedish sub complete with crew to practice against.
ReplyDeleteSo do you need to worry more about the SSN sitting outside Sydney heads or the SSK sitting inside the harbour?