To the concluded between the Australian government and the French company Naval Group, a contract providing for the construction of 12 non-national submarines, there are questions, tells the American edition of The Drive.
The publication notes that over the past few years, the value of the agreement has increased from 40 to almost 70 billion dollars. The first submarines were planned to put before the next decade. “At the same time, the French government continued to insist that the acquisition of the six nuclear submarines of the Barracuda type atomic submarines will cost a little more than ten billion dollars, which only caused additional questions about the state of the Australian contract with Naval Group,” the publication writes.
The Drive reminds that Naval Group offered Australia to create on-based atomic submarine type Barracuda non-national submarines such as Shortfin Barracuda Block 1a, which would be equipped with air-dependent energy setting (VNEU). The publication notes that, unlike VNEU, the nuclear power plant provides a submarine almost unlimited radius. “Boats with nuclear power plants are faster and able to remain under water over a period of time limited only by onboard supplies and maintenance requirements,” resembles The Drive.
The author of the material allows that the receipt of atomic submarines of Australia, who signed an agreement on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, will cause criticism from China.
As part of the Aukus Alliance, announced in September Australia, Great Britain and the United States, the specified parties plan to exchange each other defense technologies. In particular, Canberra will receive from Washington or London technology to create atomic submarines.