UK’s $1 billion AUKUS support request signals strong ongoing US collaboration
The latest foreign military sales request from the UK has implications for the future of the programme and collaboration between the three nations.
Australian industry input on Attack class rises
Naval Group has committed to increasing Australian industry capability on the Future Submarine Program.
Earlier this month the Australian Minister for Defence, Linda Reynolds, met with the French Minister of Defence, Florence Parly, to discuss maximising Australian industry involvement in the programme. At that time an ongoing process was agreed to review the implementation of the programme on a quarterly basis for the rest of 2020.
On 24 February Reynolds announced that Naval Group has ‘committed to a level of Australian industry capability of at least 60 per cent of the contract value spent in Australia’.
Reynolds said: ‘While I welcome this commitment, the Morrison government will hold Naval Group to account on their contractual commitment to maximise Australian industry involvement in this programme, as per the objectives outlined in the Strategic Partnering Agreement.
‘Through this programme, we are growing Australia’s sovereign industrial base while delivering this important national security capability of 12 regionally superior submarines. The Future Submarine Program underpins the growing strategic partnership between Australia and France and I look forward to continuing my productive dialogue with Minister Parly as we deliver this critical national security capability.’
Australia’s SEA 1000 Attack-class Future Submarine Program, being led by Naval Group, will introduce a class of 12 new diesel electric powered attack boats to replace the Royal Australian Navy’s existing fleet of six Collins-class submarines.
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