Along the lines I suspected when I wrote Unlikely Australia Wants to End French Submarine Deal on January 21, 2021:
A Brisbane Times article, by Anthony Galloway, of March 2, 2021, is entitled:
"French submarines all but locked in after negotiation breakthrough"
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If, as it probable, the Brisbane Times, article is correct.
Australia will long'n likely stick with Naval Group, out to 2075. This is even though the Australian Government puts on a hard bargaining act from time to time to help legitimise the excess prices (down payments for nuclear?) we're paying.
And a bitter casualty! Its now way too early to be talking Aussie SSNs.
After the first series of 4 Naval Group (Attack class conventional) subs commissioned in the early-mid 2030s,
maybe the second series of 4 (in the late 2030s) or third series of 4 (early 2040s) will be Barracuda SSNs
(with better (17 year L-MEU K20(?)) reactors).
2 comments:
Going on the naval procurement of the past, I take it we will “Again” wait till the delivery of four conventional Attack Class subs, then take another eye watering period to accomodate a nuclear variant of the Shortfin Barracuda “. Can “Procurement” at least produce designs for a nuclear “Barracuda” in the same build time. Why is everything glacially paced in our sub building capacity.
Hi Lee McCurtayne [at Mar 3, 2021, 9:48:00 AM]
Yes 4 conventional Attack Class subs on average every 18 months up to 2037. I might be "gone" by 2037.
China threat assessments, French willingness, Aus public willingness + other considerations will influence if we get French "BarSuf" SSNs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barracuda-class_submarine_(France) years after that.
Hopefully the existing French SSN design won't need changing/fiddling with by the RAN - as that may double the price.
Pete
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