February 10, 2021

Challenge Beijing: French SSN in South China Sea: Australia

In the tradition of Australia buying US weapon systems as an "insurance premium" on the US alliance "insurance policy".

Australia is paying France $Billions to buy the Attack-class conventional subs AND as an insurance premium on a partial strategic insurance policy. 

France is demonstrating that insurance policy via France's response-to-China FONOP using the French SSN Emeraude (See article). Such FONOPs favour French Pacific regional (and SLOC) interests and also Australian interests.

Note also - Australia hosted the same French SSN (Emeraude) in early-mid November 2020 (at Australia's Fleet Base West) at an earlier stage in Emeraude's Pacific mission. 

French SSN Emeraude (foreground) patrols the Pacific in 2020-2021. What looks like French Pacific based Floreal-class light frigate Prairial (?) is in the background. That surface vessel has been incorrectly/implicitly labeled support ship Seine in most news sites and even in some naval blogs.
(Photo courtesy French Navy).
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2 comments:

  1. Anonymous2/10/2021 2:16 PM

    Hi Pete

    UK is increasing its involvement in defense [1] and economics [2] in the Indo-Pacific Region.

    By the way, inadequate training of crews may have led to the accident of Soryu [3]. Fortunately, pressure hull is not damaged.

    [1] https://japan-forward.com/editorial-asia-should-welcome-britains-planned-naval-dispatch-to-keep-china-at-bay/
    “Japan and the United Kingdom will conduct joint military exercises as China builds up in the East and South China Seas. The US, Australia, and India should join the drill.”

    [2] https://www.bbc.com/news/business-55871373
    UK applying to join Asia-Pacific free trade pact CPTPP

    [3] https://www.sankei.com/affairs/news/210210/afr2102100007-n1.html

    Regards

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pete2/11/2021 12:45 AM

    Hi Anonymous (at February 10, 2021 at 1:46 PM)

    Thanks for the bbc article. Australia will be paying $Billions to the UK for the future UK designed Hunter-class frigate. This has also had an insurance premium effect encouraging UK ship visits and FONOPs to the Indo-Pacific Region -see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter-class_frigate

    Thanks also for your [3] https://www.sankei.com/affairs/news/210210/afr2102100007-n1.html. I have used it in the Soryu & Ship collide article at http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2021/02/soryu-subs-ship-collision-feb-8-9-2021.html

    Regards

    Pete

    ReplyDelete

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