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The only one who kept the deal with Japan alive was Tony Abbott because of his personal friendship with Japanese PM. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries doesn't have a
by lubos 10y ago
The only one who kept the deal with Japan alive was Tony Abbott because of his personal friendship with Japanese PM.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries doesn't have an experience to build submarines overseas and there were significant risks leaving someone to "learn on the job".
USA has been (correctly) pressuring Australia to select vendor on its merit and not to take into account geopolitics. Geopolitically, Japan is a lot more important to Australia than France. This is the reason Japanese believed for so long they had the deal in the bag.
With Abbott losing his job, it became easier for France or Germany to hop in. Especially when new prime minister had agenda of damaging previous PM. I think Abbott must feel terrible about Japan not getting the contract but it only shows deals like these should be done at arm's length. Abbott even wrote personal letter to Japanese PM to apologize.
- nl 10y agoMHI always wanted to build them in Japan, and it was clear that the proposal for a local build of Japanese subs was going to be very expensive. I don't think Turnbull had/has any agenda to damage Abbott. He is ambitious, yes, but once he had the job he didn't do anything else. It's worth noting that the likely loss of the submarine build to be done in Japan was one of the primary reasons the SA liberals almost all switched to supporting Turnbull.
- flashman 10y ago> USA has been (correctly) pressuring Australia to select vendor on its merit I am almost certain the USA is disappointed with Australia's selection, as US companies would have supplied several critical battle systems. In fact Australia "could experience significant difficulty getting the most advanced US combat systems" thanks to selecting the French over the Japanese.[1] http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/cautious-us-gives-japan-edge-in-subs/news-story/1103e531ed8bc463e43f77abd8165006 http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/cau...
- lubos 10y agoThis article claims USA will still supply combat system for submarines. > Australia may have awarded France a bumper contract to build its next generation of submarines, but its highly secretive combat system will come from close ally the United States. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3567774/France-build-Australia-subs-US-arm-them.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3567774/France-...