Naval Group has signed a strategic partnering agreement (SPA) with the Australian Government for the A$50bn ($35.42bn) Australian Future Submarine programme.
Under the programme, Naval Group will help to build and deliver 12 Attack-class submarines for use by the Royal Australian Navy.
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Naval Group was chosen by the government as its partner for the Attack-class submarine programme in April 2016 following a competitive evaluation process.
The agreement calls for greater involvement of the local Australian industry in the submarine programme.
The French firm noted that the deal will deliver new technologies and advanced manufacturing capabilities to Australia.
Naval Group chairman and CEO Hervé Guillou said: “This agreement with Australia will see Naval Group transfer the ‘know-how’ and ‘know-why’ to Australia to become a sovereign submarine nation.
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By GlobalData“We are very excited about the opportunities that lay ahead of us and are committed to delivering the Future Submarine programme for Australia.”
As part of the programme, the company has completed pre-sizing of the Future Submarine.
Construction work on the Future Submarine construction yard at Osbourne in Adelaide commenced in December last year.
The first phase of the onsite works will cover on-site establishment, earthworks and piling for the new facilities.
Naval Group started the transfer of technology for the programme. The first group of Australian engineers was trained in France on how to undertake the detailed design of the Future Submarine and the next batch is expected to leave for France next month.
Through the Australian Future Submarine programme, the government expects to generate an annual average of around 2,800 jobs.
The first Attack-class submarine, to be named HMAS Attack, is expected to be delivered in the early 2030s.
Construction of the submarines is part of the government’s A$90bn ($63.76bn) national shipbuilding plan, under which it aims to build 54 naval vessels in Australia. In January 2019, the government announced it would be arming the submarines with A$6bn worth of next-generation weapons.
