Thanks to Anonymous, who, on Oct 20, 2022, advised that a key Washington Post article was carried by MSN on Oct 18, 2022 with the title
The Washington Post/MSN article was clearly gobsmacked that the retired US Admirals were unwilling to pass on personal details and the Australian and US Governments refused to pass on secrets about Australia's submarine programs. Whats more these retired US Admirals were receiving contract pay commensurate with the $multi-billion programs they advised on.
One must add China resents Australia being helped to build nuclear subs almost as much as France resents losing the $multi-billion conventional Attack class submarine program.
So I looked into the matter and discerned No smoking gun. Further, I discovered France's bid for the Australian submarine contract in 2016 would ultimately have benefitted from the presence of a retired US Defence Secretary and the retired US Admirals advising the Australian Government.
Just digressing, its curious in the negative-spin-seeking MSN/Washington Postarticle advises:
“The country [Australia] has no nuclear power plants, save for a single hospital that operates a tiny reactor for research purposes.”
This serves as a corrective to Australian nuclear energy organisations under the impression that they have operated research and isotope reactors at Lucas Heights, Sydney, since the 1950s, with no "hospital" in sight.
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Submarine Matters has records of senior Americans mentioned in the MSN/Washington Post article who have assisted Australia's submarine program(s). These include:
- former Secretary of the US Navy, Donald C. Winter in June 2015, September 2015 and October 2015.
and
- retired Rear Admiral Stephen Johnson October 2015
The Mother load is here:
It is an April 2016 Submarine Matters article that carries the Joint Media Release demonstrating Winter and retired US Admirals were key parts of the process that selected France's DCNS/Naval Group in April 2016.
Relevant parts of Joint Media Release as follows:
“This rigorous and independent process was led by Head of the Future Submarine Program, Rear Admiral Greg Sammut AM CSC, and General Manager Submarines, Rear Admiral Stephen Johnson USN (retired), who was previously in charge of the program to replace the Ohio Class ballistic missile submarines
The process was overseen by an independent Expert Advisory Panel, chaired by former Secretary of the United States Navy, Professor Donald Winter. It was peer reviewed by Vice Admiral Paul Sullivan USN (retired) and Rear Admiral Thomas Eccles USN (retired).”