Australians paying French company's legal fees over future submarine project

Unfortunately no.

The general gist of things is that:

1) US does not operate diesel electrics because they are on full nuclear.

2) EU Diesel Electrics do not fit Australian requirements, at all.

EU Diesel electrics such as the Scorpene, Vastergotland/ Gotlands, Type 212s. etc etc are all short range, coastal submarines. Ocean-going submarines needs to be bigger than the aforementioned.

For reference, the Collins was basically an enlarged Vastergotland at basically triple the displacement.

Australia needs ocean-going submarines because of our involvement in the Pacific, and in areas near the South China Seas (Malacca Straits I imagnie, at least).

A nuclear submarine hull is far bigger than diesel electrics normally, so refitting one is a sound idea on paper.

/r/AustralianPolitics Thread Parent Link - abc.net.au