What are the key indicators of timeliness of Australia's Future Attack class Program? Naval Group (then DCNS) was announced as the Future Submarine Program winner in 2016. In 2016 Naval Group coined the name of the Future Submarine as the "Shortfin Barracuda".
Since then the Australian Government has announced the beginning of the the shipyard build in Osborne, Adelaide South Australia, and several contract signings.
But on timeliness we also need to look at authoritative French sources - the most important being Jean-Michel Billig.
Jean-Michel Billig, Executive Vice President Future Submarine Program, Naval Group, apparently said in Le Monde, February 11, 2019, https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2019/02/11/l-accord-franco-australien-pour-construire-douze-sous-marins-signe_5421913_3234.html :
""the first Shortfin Barracuda will not be operational before - at best - 2038, thirteen years after the planned end of life of the Collins"".
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Pete Comment
Meanwhile in the Indo-Pacific region countries are launching much more recent conventional submarines (China, Russia, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea...) than the Collins.
China's conventional submarines in particular are incorporating technologies that may not be put in Australia's Attack class. Some Chinesea (Yuan class) submarines already have Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) and soon Lithium-ion Batteries, likely making them more formidable than the Collins.
Meanwhile China's, Russia's and India's nuclear powered attack submarines (SSNs) will always be regionally superior to Australia's future Attack class (diesel + oxygen limited) conventional submarines.
Pete
Since then the Australian Government has announced the beginning of the the shipyard build in Osborne, Adelaide South Australia, and several contract signings.
But on timeliness we also need to look at authoritative French sources - the most important being Jean-Michel Billig.
Jean-Michel Billig, Executive Vice President Future Submarine Program, Naval Group, apparently said in Le Monde, February 11, 2019, https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2019/02/11/l-accord-franco-australien-pour-construire-douze-sous-marins-signe_5421913_3234.html :
""the first Shortfin Barracuda will not be operational before - at best - 2038, thirteen years after the planned end of life of the Collins"".
--------------------------------
Pete Comment
Meanwhile in the Indo-Pacific region countries are launching much more recent conventional submarines (China, Russia, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea...) than the Collins.
China's conventional submarines in particular are incorporating technologies that may not be put in Australia's Attack class. Some Chinesea (Yuan class) submarines already have Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) and soon Lithium-ion Batteries, likely making them more formidable than the Collins.
Meanwhile China's, Russia's and India's nuclear powered attack submarines (SSNs) will always be regionally superior to Australia's future Attack class (diesel + oxygen limited) conventional submarines.
Pete