By Franz-Stefan Gady
The game is on! Japan officially announces that it will bid for a contract to build 12 submarines in Australia.
This week, the Japanese National Security Council approved sharing technical data on Japan’s submarine technology with Australia.
This Monday, Tokyo also officially announced that it will join the competitive bidding process for a $39 billion contract to build Australia’s new submarine fleet in partnership with Australian industry.
Australia’s defense minister, Kevin Andrews, had invited his Japanese counterpart, Gen Nakatani, to participate in the competitive process during a teleconference on May 6.
“We have given consideration to defense cooperation between Japan and Australia,” Nakatani said this Monday. “Australia is a strategic partner that shares common values and security interests” with Japan, he added.
According to a Japanese defense official quoted in the Japan Times, what specific data — most of which is considered top-secret — will be shared with the Australians still has to be agreed upon in bilateral negotiations, but it will be strictly limited to what Canberra needs to evaluate Japan’s offer.
Read the full story at The Diplomat