Senator Rex Patrick, writing in Australia’s useful website DEFENCE CONNECT, reports https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/maritime-antisub/2322-a-french-led-lithium-revolution-for-australia: “Naval Group’s recently released Australian Industry Plan[1]gave the strongest indication yet that Australia’s Future Submarines will be powered by lithium-ion batteries. One senator has argued such a decision could allow Defence to act as a catalyst for lucrative commercial opportunities...”
All Following by Pete (generally quoting Australian Government or Naval Group) NOT by Rex Patrick or Defence Connect
[1]the declassified on [May 10 2018] Plan (a very large PDF document, about 26 MB. 60 pages, including graphics) need to download whole Plan onto your computer to rotate some of the tables (eg, page 19 and 21) ) was originally Drafted by November 27, 2015 by Naval Group (then DCNS) and maybe Submission “17”. Up until May 9, 2018 it as classified:
On top of page immediately below Minister for Defence's Cover letter is the crossed out caveats:
“SENSITVE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION
Contract DMO/FSP/00419/2015/Clause – 9.5” [or 9.3]
Then on bottom of page:
“FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
REL – AUS / FRA / GBR / USA”
Pete Comment - it is understandable document was RELeased to AUStralia, FRAnce and USA (with either Lockheed Martin or Raytheon to become Combat System Integrator). But why it was released to “GBR”, presumably Great Britain(?), is a mystery.
Much blacked out redacting follows, like
Some interesting pages of the Plan:
Top Cover Letter indicates document was released by Minister for Defence, Marise Payne letterhead, dated “10 May 2018”
page 19 - Australian Maritime College (AMC) Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, may handle “Hydrodynamics, Naval Design and Maritime Engineering”. Summary Students form French naval engineering establishments may spend 3 to 10 months at AMC on internships.
Defence Material Technology Centre (Victoria, Australia) may handle “Materials and processes” like “welding” and “bounding”.
University of Newcastle (NSW, Australia) may handle “Bacterial and microbiological corrosion”
page 21 [needs rotating]
[Pete Comment – The following Declassified details on Lithium-ion Batteries are
non-committal. The large, blacked out, redacted bits prevent any conclusion.] Section on “Lithium-ion batteries [mostly black line redacted] DCNS has been working on lithium-ion battery technologies for many years with different partners” [big redaction] Many research initiatives are also occurring in Australia both in the defence space and in adjacent industries that could lead to technology breakthrough. The” [big redaction].
page 42– [list of] “Australian Companies engaged by DCNS” [now Naval Group]
page 50– [number of jobs created] “Figure 13. Anticipated Employment Outcomes from the FSP [Future Submarine Program]”
Much else is of interest.
Comments from submarine competitor countries/companies – eg. Japan, Germany and Sweden - are especially welcome.
Pete