The information has the effect of a bomb, and has yet to be confirmed officially. But according to the site abc.net.au, the Australian government would have taken the decision to cancel the contract awarded to the French Naval Group for the design and local construction of 12 Shortfin Barracuda conventionally powered submarines. According to the site, Canberra has in fact decided to develop, to replace its Swedish-made Collins-class submarines, nuclear-powered submarines, relying on an American-British partnership in this area for transfers. of technology.
This would certainly be news with serious consequences for the French shipbuilder which had made this contract covering more than 15 years and $50 billion the pillar of its development strategy on the international scene. According to the site, the Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, would have tried to contact French President Emmanuel Macron to tell him the news, but having been unable to reach him this Wednesday, the telephone appointment would have been set for this Thursday . There is no doubt that the French president will appreciate hearing the news through the press.
That being said, the choice of a fleet of nuclear-powered attack submarines is far from absurd on Australia's part. It would probably even have been preferable to base the initial SEA 1000 competition on this criterion from its launch, given the growing and predictable tensions linked to the increase in Chinese naval power, as well as the very long distances to be covered for submersibles. from Canberra. On the other hand, no one in Australia could ignore that the Shortfin was a model derived from the French SSN class Suffren, undoubtedly the most efficient and modern nuclear attack submarine of the moment, and it had been possible, in this case, to transform the contract with Naval Group and the French authorities in this direction.
In reality, the choice of Naval Group was the target of many detractors in Australia, and this as soon as it is announced. Thus, the Labor opposition had made this contract one of the preferred targets of its communication for several years, just like several journalists who were sometimes clearly under influence. Despite its efforts, and once again if the information were to be officially confirmed (it would not be the first time that the Australian press has been excited about this subject), it seems that Naval Group has never succeeded in convincing the Australian public opinion, little helped it is true by the episodes surrounding the Tiger helicopter and more recently the NH-90.
For now, therefore, we must be cautious, and wait for official confirmations or denials before making a decision. The ABC article only mentions indirect arguments, even if they all seem to converge. If new data comes to light, we will add it to this article.
PS1: According to Politico, Joe Biden will soon announce a joint effort with the United Kingdom to assist Australia in the design of an SSN fleet, and transfer the necessary technologies.
PS2: The information is now taken up by most Australian news sites, leaving little doubt as to its veracity.