Following on from yesterday's article on what the Australian Govenment said about the Shortfin Barracuda Future Australian Submarine Program Strategic Partnering Agreement (SPA) is
what French Government owned Naval Group says about the SPA.
At http://naval-group.com.au/2019/02/11/naval-group-signs-the-strategic-partnering-agreement/
COMMENT
Next week - how Naval Group rebutted certain Australian media comments on the severe delay of Naval Group's not-yet-launched baseline Barracuda/Suffren class SSN (laid down 2007 I kid you not!).
Pete
what French Government owned Naval Group says about the SPA.
Further comment and analysis, at Submarine Matters, will follow next week, noting the Australian Morrison Coalition 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 ousting of the Australian Government that signed the SPA 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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At http://naval-group.com.au/2019/02/11/naval-group-signs-the-strategic-partnering-agreement/
Happy signees of the Strategic Partnering Agreement Canberra February 11 2019. French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly is in the center. (Photo courtesy Naval Group and Australian Department of Defence)
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"NAVAL GROUP SIGNS THE STRATEGIC PARTNERING
AGREEMENT
A significant
milestone has been achieved today with the signing of the Future Submarine
Program Strategic Partnering Agreement (SPA) by the Commonwealth of Australia
(CoA) and Naval Group.
The agreement was
signed in the presence of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, The Hon. Christopher
Pyne, Minister for Defence and Florence Parly, French Minister for the Armed
Forces.
[despite Morrison being present no equivalent French President or French Prime Minister was present. So why did Morrison turn up? Or why was the French PM not there?]
[despite Morrison being present no equivalent French President or French Prime Minister was present. So why did Morrison turn up? Or why was the French PM not there?]
The agreement sets
out the principles of cooperation between the two partners for the Attack class
Submarine Program which will see:
· the delivery of 12
regionally superior submarines to Australia with leading edge capabilities; [maybe the Shortfin Attack class will be superior conventional subs but are/will be far inferior to China's SSNs]
- the delivery of new technologies and advanced manufacturing
capabilities to Australia, introducing the next phase of Australian sovereignty
as a submarine nation;
- the creation of thousands of direct and indirect Australian jobs
which will positively impact many generations of Australians; and
- opportunities and long-term planning certainty for industry,
allowing Australian companies involved in the submarine program to invest
in the capabilities needed to support their involvement in construction
and sustainment activities.
“Naval Group is
known for building world-leading, technologically advanced submarines and has
built 100 of them for nine different countries,” said HervĂ© Guillou, Chairman
and CEO, Naval Group.
“This agreement
with Australia will see Naval Group transfer the “know-how” and “know-why” to
Australia to become a sovereign submarine nation. [Assembling a large proportion of French and Lockheed Martin (LM) US combat system parts does not add up to "sovereign". Don't forget the US LM mainly operating in Adelaide, is undertaking one third of the whole project.]
“We are very
excited about the opportunities that lay ahead of us and are committed to
delivering the Future Submarine Program for Australia.
“We are grateful to
the teams from the Commonwealth of Australia and Naval Group who have worked
hard to achieve this agreement,” said Mr Guillou.
Since being
selected as Australia’s partner for the Attack class Submarine Program in April
2016, a lot has been achieved.
[Really? Given full-sized hydrodynamic trials and stealth testing of the yet-to-be-launched baseline Barracuda SSN has not yet been achieved.]
[Really? Given full-sized hydrodynamic trials and stealth testing of the yet-to-be-launched baseline Barracuda SSN has not yet been achieved.]
Program milestones
- Pre-sizing of the Future Submarine has been completed.
- The Feasibility Study phase of the Future Submarine design contract
being undertaken in France with the support of Australian engineers has
been completed. This involves working closely with the Commonwealth to
ensure the Future Submarine meets functionality, scheduling and cost
requirements.
- The first sod has been turned at the Future Submarine construction
yard in Adelaide. Phase 1 of the onsite works will focus on site
establishment, earth works and piling for the new facilities with the
development to create at least 600 jobs.
- The transfer of technology commenced with the relocation of the
first group of Australian engineers to France to learn how to carry out
the detailed design of the Future Submarines. The next group of engineers
will depart for France in March 2019.
- Officially opened the Future Submarine Program office in Cherbourg
housing Naval Group personnel alongside their Defence and Lockheed Martin
Australia [are, there LM is, in Cherbourg (not Adelaide)] colleagues.
- Continued to work with education facilities, TAFEs and
universities, having forged a collaborative engineering and research
Memorandum of Understanding with the University of New South Wales.
- Suppliers of the top five pieces of equipment including the main
motor, diesel generators, switchboards, batteries and weapons discharge
systems have been reviewed and will be announced in 2019.
Industry milestones
- Continue to maximise the opportunities for Australian Industry
involvement in the program, through all phases, without compromising the
Commonwealths requirements against capability, cost and schedule.
o
To date Naval Group has engaged with
over 1,100 Australian suppliers through expression of interests, requests for
information, supplier visits and industry events to develop a in depth
understanding of Australia Industry capability.
o
169 Australian suppliers have been
pre-qualified for the program with Naval Group Australia.
o
Conducted numerous engagement
activities in France and Australia to connect potential European and Australian
suppliers.
- Released Expressions of Interests and Requests for Information for
major equipment and common technologies equipment for the Future
Submarine.
- Commenced efforts to procure capital equipment related to the
Submarine Construction Yard including machining equipment, painting
booths, a plate rolling machine, a plasma cutting machine, water jet
cutting machine, rotating cradle and a milling machine. [the issue of "milling" a propeller OR parts of a pump jet still needs resolution.]
- Conducted nine Future Submarine industry briefings across the
nation providing Australian companies information on how to become
involved in the Future Submarine Program.
Naval Group
Australia milestones
- Established our headquarters in Keswick, Adelaide.
- Expanded the Naval Group Australia team from 15 employees to over
100. By 2028-2029, when production is in full swing, we expect to employ
1,600 people.
- Successfully became ISO 9001 certified.
COMMENT
Next week - how Naval Group rebutted certain Australian media comments on the severe delay of Naval Group's not-yet-launched baseline Barracuda/Suffren class SSN (laid down 2007 I kid you not!).
Pete
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