Japan could build 12 submarines in Adelaide, its former naval chief has revealed

JAPAN could build 12 submarines in Adelaide, its former naval chief has revealed, which means all three potential partners are able to carry out the $50 billion project here. DOSSIER: Blueprint for next generation subs

JAPAN could build 12 submarines in Adelaide, its former naval chief has revealed, which means all three potential partners are able to carry out the $50 billion project here.

France and Germany have already indicated they are open to using the ASC facilities and workforce to build a submarine they design.

Former Japanese Navy Commander in Chief Yoji Koda told The Advertiser on Thursday it was “feasible and possible” to build submarines here.

It was previously understood that Japan was more inclined to build in its own shipyards.

But Vice Admiral Koda said it got “much easier” if the ships were built in Adelaide.

“If all the boats are built in Japan, it’s very difficult — we’re not so good at English,” he said.

“Building all of them in Japan is not realistic.”

Vice Admiral Koda, an adviser to Japan’s national security body, said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was very keen on striking a deal to partner with Australia to build the submarines and that Mr Abe and Prime Minister Tony Abbott were on the same page on defence cooperation.

Another presenter at the Sub Summit in Adelaide, University of Adelaide Japanese politics expert Professor Purnendra Jain, said he had recently been with Defence officials in Japan and they had spoken about Japanese submarines as though a deal had been done.

However, Vice Admiral Koda said it was “impossible” that any secret deal had been inked between the two leaders, as has been widely speculated, because that would cost Mr Abe his political credibility and his job.

The Government has always denied there was any deal with Japan, but is understood to favour the option.

Under the Government’s competitive evaluation process, Japan — assuming the Japanese Government agrees to take part — will put forward three options: a wholly Australian build, a hybrid build and a Japanese build.

They will compete against France and Germany after the Government eliminated Sweden from the process.

Vice Admiral Koda said the safest way would be to build the first boat in Japan, or to have larger Japanese participation in Adelaide, depending on the local industry’s capability.

“It’s been a long time since the last Collins was constructed (but) if the Australian submarine industry is still capable enough to build a new first one under the new design, of course the option is to build here,” he said.

He said building more submarines made it a more economic proposition but even with just six subs it could work.

“I think the Australian requirements, Japan has the closest operational requirements, and also the alliance with the US. The Japan option really brings the three nations together,” he said.

His colleague, Vice Admiral Masao Kobayashi, said it was crucial that a new submarine could be fully maintained in Australia, and the skills to do that already existed here.

There are still obstacles to any potential partnership with Japan, because it has never exported Defence technology before and there is internal resistance to the idea.

“Everything is new,” Vice Admiral Koda said.

It was revealed during the summit that while Australia would deal with commercial companies in Europe, with Japan it was dealing directly with the Government, raising concerns they were getting special treatment.

However, the Japanese delegation said that was necessary because the Government would have to change its policy to allow Defence exports.

Industry head Chris Burns said the Japanese option was “high risk” because Japan had no experience in defence exports. “The Germans and the French have exported … the Japanese have no experience.”