Australia made 'huge mistake' in cancelling submarine deal, says French envoy

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

MELBOURNE/PARIS, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Australia has made a "huge" diplomatic error by ditching a multi-billion-dollar order for French submarines in favour of an alternative deal with the United States and Britain, France's envoy to Canberra said on Saturday.

Canberra announced on Thursday it would scrap its 2016 deal with France's Naval Group to build a fleet of conventional submarines and instead build at least eight nuclear-powered ones with U.S. and British technology after striking a trilateral security partnership.

The move caused fury in France, a NATO ally of the United States and Britain, prompting it to recall its ambassadors to Washington and Canberra, and also riled China, the major rising power in the Indo-Pacific region.

Malaysia said on Saturday that Canberra's decision to build atomic-powered submarines could trigger a regional nuclear arms race, echoing concerns already raised by Beijing.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/1-australia-made-huge-mistake-132453810.html

[comradebillyboy]

1. Australia views China's aggressive actions in the

South China Sea with justifiable alarm. They need good security arrangements to protect their own national interests. France doesn't have much of a military presence in that region. The US does. And the US has lots of allies in the region.

Plus the French Naval Group wasn't living up to its contractual obligations.

[brush]

2. WTF? France is still building conventional subs? And why did...

the Aussie's agree in 2016 to a multi-billion dollar deal for a fleet of non-nuclear submarines when nuclear powered subs have been the naval standard for generations now.

[FBaggins]

4. It was to be a diesel variant of a nuclear sub

First ones weren’t due for several years.

[brush]

5. Still, who wants diesel subs nowadays? WWll subs were diesel.

We've come a ways since then with nuclear subs which outperform them is in just about every way.

[Chainfire]

3. The French will get over it.

If Paris does not think that there is a huge arms race going on in the Pacific, they just aren't paying attention.