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| Japanese Soryu class Submarine (File Photo) |
By Franz-Stefan Gady
Remarks by a retired Japanese Vice Admiral could be a “game changer” in the race for Australia’s biggest-ever arms deal.
Japan is perhaps softening its stance vis-à-vis the possible construction of Soryu-class submarines in Australia, according to Reuters. Last week, retired Japanese Vice Admiral Yoji Koda stated at Australia’s Future Submarine Summit that perhaps only the first out of a dozen such vessels could be built in Japan.
“At least some boats should be built in this country [Australia] (…) I used to be heavily involved in defense force planning … Maybe the best way is proportional to the number of ships to be built,” the Vice Admiral said.
Another retired Japanese naval officer, Vice Admiral Masao Kobayashi, who also attended the meeting, stated that it was “not very difficult” to imagine Japanese submarines constructed in Australia, according to Reuters.
The conference was held in Adelaide, home to the state-owned Australian Submarine Corporation. One of the event co-organizers, John Bruni, director of Sage International, an Australian geopolitical consultancy, called Koda’s comments a “game changer.”
Read the full story at The Diplomat