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| A Japanese Soryu class Submarine |
CANBERRA, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Japan will next month send one of its high-tech Soryu class submarines to Australia in a bid to strengthen its chances of securing a lucrative defense contract to build Australia's next generation submarine fleet, reports said Friday.
The Soryu class submarine will join forces from the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in conducting a number of joint training exercises, a further effort to spruik the capabilities of the sub it is offering to the Australian government.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), which obtained a copy of the itinerary, the Japanese navy will send the submarine, as well as two helicopters and two destroyers.
Dr Malcolm Davis from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute told the ABC that Japan was "clearly confident" in their vessel, and labeled the exercise as a significant development in the competition for the contract.
Read the full story at Xinhua