How France Sank Japan's $40 Billion Australian Submarine Dream

choi

Tim Kelly, Cyril Altmeyer and Colin Packham, How France Sank Japan's $40 Billion Australian Submarine Dream. Reuters, Apr 29, 2016.
http://www.reuters.com/article/u ... ce-in-idUSKCN0XQ1FC

My comment:
(a) I thought Australia placed the order with France due to technological consideration. It turns out that it is all politics, and that it may not matter, because in any event, an American company will build the core. That may have implication for Taiwan's own submarine project.
(b) "head of [Japan's] Ministry of Defense's procurement agency Hideaki WATANABE"

防衛省 防衛装備庁 の初代長官 渡辺 秀明 (防衛装備庁 came into being in October 2015)
(c) "In November 2014, DCNS CEO Herve Guillou prevailed on French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to visit Australia and start the pitch for France.  Le Drian traveled to Albany in the country's remote southwest, where officials had gathered to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the first sailing of Australian soldiers to fight on France's Western Front during World War One."

Albany, Western Australia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albany,_Western_Australia
(a city in the state of Western Australia, whose capital and largest city is Perth; section 1.2         World War I)
(d) "South Australian lawmakers, worried that Abbott had quietly agreed to Japan supplying the new submarines, insisted the government look at options to build them in their state. They pressured the prime minister into holding a competitive tender which DCNS and Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems quickly joined."

South Australia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Australia
(a state whose capital is Adelaide [which was a queen's first name]; covers some of the most arid parts of the continent)
(e) "By September 2015, Japan's key ally Abbott had been deposed by Malcolm Turnbull, blowing the competition wide open.  Industry officials said all of the sub offerings had some drawbacks, meaning other factors including experience and connections came into play."

Tony Abbott
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Abbott
(born in 1957 in London; PM September 2013-September 2015; leader of the Liberal Party 2009 - 2015 [; has been a Member of Parliament for Warringah since 1994)

In September 2013 Abbott led Liberal Party to defeat Labor Party (whose leader was Kevin Rudd doubling as prime minister; in that election Rudd kept his seat in Parliament but resigned in November 2013). In September 2015, however, Malcolm Turnbull, also of Libertal Party, challenged Abbott, won leadership of that party and became PM himself. Parliament of Australia has three components under the nation's constitution: Queen, Senate (where the term was 6 years maximum) and House of Representatives (term of 3 years maximum).

(f) Compared to Japan, "France, on the other hand, mobilized its vast and experienced military-industrial complex and hired a powerful Australian submarine industry insider, Sean Costello, who led it to an unexpected victory. * * * Costello's team drew up a list of a dozen tasks DCNS needed to complete to win the deal, including the critical job of winning over US defense companies Lockheed Martin Corp and Raytheon Co, one of which will eventually build the submarine's combat system."

Pierre Tran, France Celebrates 'Historic' Submarine Win in Australia. Defense News, Apr 27, 2016.
www.defensenews.com/story/defens ... -hollande/83562234/

two consecutive paragraphs:

"DCNS won with its Shortfin Barracuda A1 submarine design, a conventionally-powered derivative of the nuclear-powered Suffren-class submarine now under construction for the French Navy.

"Unlike the Suffrens, however, Australia's submarines will be armed with US weapons and a US combat systems integrator, either Raytheon or Lockheed.

(i) There is no need to read the rest of the Defense News report, which confirms my suspicion.
(ii) French Barracuda-class submarine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Barracuda-class_submarine
(or Suffren class, because the lead ship will be named Suffren, see section 3 Boats)
(iii) Pierre André Suffren
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Andr%C3%A9_de_Suffren
(1729 – 1788; French admiral)