France has been negotiating submarine delays and cost overruns with a minority Australian Coalition Government that may only last to March or May 2019. "The [Victorian State] election outcome has put the Scott Morrison government on course for a crushing defeat at next year's federal polls..."
Australia's Future Submarines may only be operational in 2035 and cost more than $50 Billion+ 25%. In an excellent article Andrew Greene, Defence Reporter for the Australian Government owned ABC, reportsDecember 5, 2018:
“Future submarines could arrive late and cost more, confidential negotiations reveal”
"The first of Australia's new submarines could arrive late and cost substantially more than expected as Defence attempts to finalise the terms of the $50 billion project.
The ABC understands Defence recently offered a two-year extension to the French company building the future submarines as it tries to lock in a crucial final agreement.
Senior sources confirmed the "unprecedented" offer to allow an extra two years and 25 per cent cost increase was initially rejected by the French owned shipbuilder, Naval Group.
[France] instead wanted a three-year schedule delay and for an allowance of a 30 per cent increase in delivery costs, but the company later backed down.
The ABC can also reveal that negotiations between Defence officials and Naval Group became so tense that a former senior bureaucrat was hired in a bid to help resolve protracted disagreements.
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull announced Naval Group, then known as DCNS, had been selected for the lucrative project in 2016.
The French bid was successful in a competitive evaluation process (CEP), beating rival offers from Germany's TKMS and the Japanese Government.
Unlike a regular military tender process, the CEP did not involve detailed commercial contracts being submitted to the Defence Department.
Defence officials and Naval Group representatives have since been locked in tough negotiations over details of the program to produce 12 submarines to replace Australia's ageing Collins Class fleet from the mid-2030s.
The Coalition is now anxious to complete a crucial Strategic Partnering Agreement (SPA), which will guide the submarine program for decades, before next year's election.
Defence Minister Christopher Pyne insisted there was "no real deadline for the SPA"but said he had "an unformal deadline of signing [it] before the election".
The Defence Department is refusing to confirm or deny any details of the confidential talks, telling the ABC the negotiations on the SPA were in the "final stages"..."
COMMENT
While Naval Group's workforce are attempting to launch the (delayed for years) French Barracuda SSNs Naval Group does not have the workforce or fullscale testing to get the Australian Project on track.
There are no water flow results from the so far delayed not yet launched Barracuda for the French Navy. So Australia cannot be sure that Australia's Future Submarine (which will have the Barracuda hull shape) will move efficiently and quietly in the water.
There are no water flow results from the so far delayed not yet launched Barracuda for the French Navy. So Australia cannot be sure that Australia's Future Submarine (which will have the Barracuda hull shape) will move efficiently and quietly in the water.
Pete