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| Australia's current Collins class Submarine |
By Franz-Stefan Gady
A competitive evaluation process will take 10 months to complete.
Last Friday, the Australian government has asked Germany, France, and Japan to bid for the country’s largest defense procurement program in its history. Three shipbuilding companies are now vying for a $39 billion contract to build Australia’s new submarine fleet in partnership with Australian industry, which is supposed to create around 500 new jobs in the country – mostly in South Australia.
“It’s very important that we get the best possible submarines at the best possible price, maximizing Australian involvement in their construction and maintenance,” emphasized Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott in a recent statement.
According to Bloomberg News, Defense Minister Kevin Andrews stated that “All three countries have proven submarine design and build capabilities and are currently producing submarines.” The “competitive evaluation process,” he further noted will take 10 months to complete. The Swedish company Saab was not invited to bid for the contract, although Swedish Defense Minister, Peter Hultqvist, is still hoping that his country will have an opportunity to deliver an offer. Saab owns Kockums, the Swedish company that designed and built Australia’s Collins-class submarines.
Read the full story at The Diplomat