Australian submarine tender narrows to Japanese and French bids

Reuters ^ | January 22, 2016

[sukhoi-30mki]

TOKYO/ SYDNEY--The competition for the contract to build Australia's next submarine fleet is narrowing to a race between Japan and France as a bid from Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) loses ground over technical concerns, multiple sources said.

Australia is expected to decide the winner of the Australian $50 billion ($34.55 billion) project, one of the world's most lucrative defense contracts, within the next six months, ahead of a national election in which the deal and the jobs it will create is expected to be a key issue for the conservative government.

TKMS is proposing to scale up its 2,000-ton Type 214 class vessel, while Japan is offering a variant of its 4,000-ton Soryu boats made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

France's state-controlled naval contractor DCNS has proposed a diesel-electric version of its 5,000-ton Barracuda nuclear-powered submarine.

Australia has said it wants a boat in the 4,000-ton class.

Scaling a submarine to twice its original size presents exponential technical challenges, experts say.

That puts TKMS furthest from having the experience to offer what Australia wants in a large, long-range, stealthy submarine to replace its ageing Collins-class fleet, said six industrial sources in Asia and Australia with knowledge of the situation.

"The German proposal is an enlarged version of a smaller existing submarine, and that technically is risky," said one source.

TKMS and one of the sources in Australia, who has decades of experience in the global arms industry, cautioned against jumping to conclusions as each side jockeys for the best outcome in what may ultimately be a political decision.

Australia wanted a partner to design and build a new submarine, which neutralizes any perceived advantage with existing bigger boats, said TKMS Australia Director Jim Duncan.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Hope they go with the Nipponoodle.
It will get really great gas mileage...

[Robert A Cook PE]

I’d go for Japanese boats.....

They’re closer to the dealer for all them scheduled maintenance and light bulb and battery changes.

Cheaper to fly up fer all dem dere meetings too.

(Besides, the Aussies already beat Japan once.