Joe Black
Active Member
Joint bid on submarines between Japan and Sweden
South Australian premier Jay Weatherill has welcomed private talks between Japanese and Swedish companies about building the next-generation of submarines in Adelaide.
The Australian this morning revealed a joint bid by Japanese and Swedish companies for Australia’s $20 billion-plus submarine contract was emerging as an unlikely solution to fears that sending shipbuilding jobs offshore could cost the Abbott government several seats.
The private talks could see a major part of the nation’s biggest defence project being carried out in South Australia, even if the contract is awarded to a foreign company.
Mr Weatherill, asked about The Australian’s report, said he welcomed any foreign player that was prepared to build the submarines in Australia.
“That’s the commitment the federal government gave (ahead of the 2013 election) and that’s the commitment that we want to see delivered on,” the premier told Sky News.
“It’s a question of sovereign capability, making sure that we have the skills and capability to defend our nation, but also it’s the incredible number of jobs. I mean, we’re talking about a 30-year program of high-technology jobs which answers a big question that people around the nation are asking themselves about where the future of our industry is actually going to come from, and it’s not just the jobs that are created it’s the spill-over effects in our economy.
“These high-end jobs (are) like the engine room and the education system within your economy to actually grow advanced manufacturing, so its absolutely essential not only for the defence of the nation but also for the creation of sustainable high-technology industries.”
South Australia’s coalition MPs fear being wiped out in a voter backlash if the Abbott government opts to have the navy’s new submarines built overseas.
Under one scenario the contract would be awarded to a Japanese company, with key parts of the work done by the Swedish firm SAAB. The Swedes already have about 350 engineers and other staff in Australia and a year ago it bought Kockums which built the Collins Class submarines.
That option would also deal with Japan’s lack of experience in selling major defence equipment to other nations and concerns that language and cultural issues might complicate the project.
There has so far been no serious hint made publicly by Japan that it would be willing to build all or any of the boats in Australia.
But The Australian has been told that the Japanese have indicated privately that they would be open to the possibility of building the submarines in Australia.
That would remove from the project the cost of constructing a new yard in Japan. While Sweden has been excluded from the three-way competitive evaluation process for the new sub*marines, this would bring the Swedes back into the contest.
The three contenders at this stage are Japan, France and *Germany.
Coalition MPs have told The Australian they fear that if a major part of the submarine construction work does not go to South Australia, the Coalition is likely to lose three or four members from the House of Representatives, including the high profile Christopher Pyne, and two senators.
While buying a Japanese submarine is an option favoured by Tony Abbott, there are concerns that because of its pacifist constitution, Japan has no experience selling major defence equipment to other nations and that language and cultural issues might complicate an already complex project.
If Japan wins the contract it will work with Australia on a new submarine which would be an evolution of its successful Soryu Class boat with much longer range and other substantial changes including greater space allocated to crew accommodation.
The Swedes already provide the air independent propulsion systems for Japan’s Soryu Class submarines and the two nations have a close working relationship.
Japan has already asked *Sweden if it would be willing to share that propulsion system with Australia if Australia does buy an updated version of the Soryu.
The Australian has been told that Japanese engineers and naval specialists who last year visited the ASC plant in South Australia, where the Collins Class submarine was built, considered the Adelaide facility was more advanced than the plants used in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation to build the Japanese submarines. The two companies alternate in each producing a submarine every two years in a “continuous build” process.
The Australian was told in Japan in June last year that Prime Minister Shinto Abe was keen for his country to provide Australia’s submarines as long as he could persuade his parliament to agree to the necessary changes to the *interpretation of its pacifist constitution.
That process was completed only recently, and after the Abbott government opened up the process to include the French and Germans.
Cookies must be enabled. | The Australian
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The highlight was mine. Interesting to see that ASC is actually considered more advance than the Japanese yards.
South Australian premier Jay Weatherill has welcomed private talks between Japanese and Swedish companies about building the next-generation of submarines in Adelaide.
The Australian this morning revealed a joint bid by Japanese and Swedish companies for Australia’s $20 billion-plus submarine contract was emerging as an unlikely solution to fears that sending shipbuilding jobs offshore could cost the Abbott government several seats.
The private talks could see a major part of the nation’s biggest defence project being carried out in South Australia, even if the contract is awarded to a foreign company.
Mr Weatherill, asked about The Australian’s report, said he welcomed any foreign player that was prepared to build the submarines in Australia.
“That’s the commitment the federal government gave (ahead of the 2013 election) and that’s the commitment that we want to see delivered on,” the premier told Sky News.
“It’s a question of sovereign capability, making sure that we have the skills and capability to defend our nation, but also it’s the incredible number of jobs. I mean, we’re talking about a 30-year program of high-technology jobs which answers a big question that people around the nation are asking themselves about where the future of our industry is actually going to come from, and it’s not just the jobs that are created it’s the spill-over effects in our economy.
“These high-end jobs (are) like the engine room and the education system within your economy to actually grow advanced manufacturing, so its absolutely essential not only for the defence of the nation but also for the creation of sustainable high-technology industries.”
South Australia’s coalition MPs fear being wiped out in a voter backlash if the Abbott government opts to have the navy’s new submarines built overseas.
Under one scenario the contract would be awarded to a Japanese company, with key parts of the work done by the Swedish firm SAAB. The Swedes already have about 350 engineers and other staff in Australia and a year ago it bought Kockums which built the Collins Class submarines.
That option would also deal with Japan’s lack of experience in selling major defence equipment to other nations and concerns that language and cultural issues might complicate the project.
There has so far been no serious hint made publicly by Japan that it would be willing to build all or any of the boats in Australia.
But The Australian has been told that the Japanese have indicated privately that they would be open to the possibility of building the submarines in Australia.
That would remove from the project the cost of constructing a new yard in Japan. While Sweden has been excluded from the three-way competitive evaluation process for the new sub*marines, this would bring the Swedes back into the contest.
The three contenders at this stage are Japan, France and *Germany.
Coalition MPs have told The Australian they fear that if a major part of the submarine construction work does not go to South Australia, the Coalition is likely to lose three or four members from the House of Representatives, including the high profile Christopher Pyne, and two senators.
While buying a Japanese submarine is an option favoured by Tony Abbott, there are concerns that because of its pacifist constitution, Japan has no experience selling major defence equipment to other nations and that language and cultural issues might complicate an already complex project.
If Japan wins the contract it will work with Australia on a new submarine which would be an evolution of its successful Soryu Class boat with much longer range and other substantial changes including greater space allocated to crew accommodation.
The Swedes already provide the air independent propulsion systems for Japan’s Soryu Class submarines and the two nations have a close working relationship.
Japan has already asked *Sweden if it would be willing to share that propulsion system with Australia if Australia does buy an updated version of the Soryu.
The Australian has been told that Japanese engineers and naval specialists who last year visited the ASC plant in South Australia, where the Collins Class submarine was built, considered the Adelaide facility was more advanced than the plants used in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation to build the Japanese submarines. The two companies alternate in each producing a submarine every two years in a “continuous build” process.
The Australian was told in Japan in June last year that Prime Minister Shinto Abe was keen for his country to provide Australia’s submarines as long as he could persuade his parliament to agree to the necessary changes to the *interpretation of its pacifist constitution.
That process was completed only recently, and after the Abbott government opened up the process to include the French and Germans.
Cookies must be enabled. | The Australian
--------
The highlight was mine. Interesting to see that ASC is actually considered more advance than the Japanese yards.
