5 ms·
French nuclear submarines require refuelling part way through their operating life, US and UK ones don't. Australia doesn't have or want to develop the domestic
by rjsw 5y ago
French nuclear submarines require refuelling part way through their operating life, US and UK ones don't. Australia doesn't have or want to develop the domestic nuclear power industry to be able to do this itself.
- ClumsyPilot 5y agoIs that real notivation? I am sure they could be refueled in France once in a decade if needes
- skissane 5y agoThat is because US/UK nuclear submarines use weapons-grade highly enriched uranium, French submarines only use reactor-grade enriched uranium. The US has been trying to stop non-nuclear weapons states from adopting highly enriched uranium for naval propulsion on the grounds of proliferation risk; they've decided to make an exception here for Australia. However, the US will supply that uranium to Australia, Australia has agreed not to attempt to enrich it themselves. Australia could have gone with US nuclear submarines, but still thrown some sops to the French, like some engineering consulting or training cooperation or buy some components from them or something. France would not have liked that, but still would likely have been more happy than they are now, where they've been shut out completely. Even if Australia/UK/US tried to include France somehow, but it didn't work out, would have gone down better than the current situation in which they never took France into the conversation.