Sub France Wants Australia to Buy
The French company DCNS has released details of the new submarine it wants to build for Australia as a replacement for the navy's Collins subs.
DCNS is offering Australia a new submarine design it calls the Shortfin Barracuda as its contender in the $50 billion new submarines project.
The Shortfin Barracuda Block 1A design, which is more than 90m long and displaces more than 4000 tonnes, is the French bid for the Future Submarines project.
This is a conventionally powered version of its nuclear Barracuda-class, named after an indigenous species of the Barracuda found on the Great Barrier Reef.
The Shortfin Barracuda Block 1A would be slightly smaller than the existing Barracuda-class submarine.
DCNS Australia chief executive Sean Costello said exact details of the new boat remained confidential but it would be more than 90 metres long and displace more than 4000 tonnes when submerged.
German shipbuilder TKMS and Japan are competing with France to win the project. Japan is reportedly working on the “Goryu”, or “Australian Dragon”.
