Nuggs Bunny
Spec Moderator
- Moderator
- #626
I think they were pretty keen on getting Australia to help finance the design of a diesel-electric barracuda submarine that could be exported to other nations, as well as it being a matter of national pride given France has traditionally not had the success at exporting arms that it would like, which hurts the bottom line of indigenous design programs. Winning the Attack class program was a huge coup for France and the fact that it's blown up in their face looks equally bad.The noises coming out of France to me suggests that they viewed the Australian purchase of French submarines as an extension of French foreign policy. Like they expected a say in when or where they were deployed. I was thinking it was more a commercial contract for the supply of submarines, after which Australia could do as they pleased with them.
Maybe we are better off being not aligned to French foreign policy. We do not have a mutual defence treaty with France, we do have such a treaty with the USA, since 1951.
Until this latest development, we had done a fairly admirable job of spreading the love around to different partners. The frigates went to the UK, the destroyers and the LHD went to Spain, the US had the JSF and L400 P2 went to Germany. The biggest contract of all of them was held by the French, now it looks like also heading to the US. To smooth things over I think the French will end up with something fairly big and something that's less risky. Might be the A400 as a replacement for the C130.