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Yes, and the French had some kind of naval ceremony planned in the US, that they canned at the last moment. The French and American relationship has taken a dive over the new deal too. 

Le frog has a dose of Le shitz.  They’ll be pissed at the Poms too.

Reading between the lines, there has been a lot going on behind the scenes. Just wonder why the govt could not change the specs if they wished? Why not simply advise the French the nuclear powered vessels were now the preference, over the diesel power plants? Next thing we know, the Australian states will all be squawking, arguing and fighting over where the work will be. There is a lot more to be heard on this story!                            At least the French have a learnt a valuable lesson. It's not only Aussies whom get treated shabbily by the Australia govt.

The whole programme was years behind and billions over budget so my only surprise is we didn't cancel it earlier given the subs themselves were dogs.

Indeed, the French need to be a wee bit careful regarding retaliation as, because in simple terms she has big trade surplus with Australia.  

 

Just reading some American opinion pieces on the Aussie-French Submarine deal.The Americans can build a Sea Wolf Class Nuclear Submarine from scratch in 2 years, ready to sail.
In the opinion of the Americans the Diesel powered French subs .That are good are just not for the 21st century.And do not meet Australias future needs..

Just some posturing by the French for the benefit of their own people who would have expected some sort of outrage, it will all be forgotten in a month or so. In the end if you want subs as part of your primary defence then there's really no other way to go as deisel is stone age tech when it comes to subs. The deal needed to be done in strict security so letting the French know before the ink was dry would have resulted in immediate media leaks which would have jeopardised the deal.

SS there saying on news reports today.That our existing Collins Class Subs should have already been decommissioned.And we might have to lease British and American Submarines.Until our new subs are ready..Maby lease some off France as an olive branch.

RAN will be leasing USN Virginia Class in a few years I would say, best way to bridge the time gap for the new ones, Collins won't last that long.

BC wrote:

The whole programme was years behind and billions over budget so my only surprise is we didn't cancel it earlier given the subs themselves were dogs.

Turnbull and Pyne signed up for this way back in 2016, and we where no closer to getting them than back in 2016, France changed the construction plans wanting a lot more built over there, so where flipping on the orginal contract, the design and concept was a dud, a nuke sub retro fitted with diesel powered batteries, designers said it would be the noisiest thing afloat, not to mention all the range limitations. 

It was bad enough we agreed to it, let alone dragged on for years.