Australia leans toward buying Japanese subs to upgrade fleet

YUP!!!............China's muscle-flexing has painted itself into a corner.

Who cares what China thinks.

"Such a deal would signal a major expansion of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s controversial drive for a more active military after decades of pacifism"

The article indicates that Japanese built subs would be sold to and operated by Australia. While it is certainly more active for Japan's export shipbuilding industry, I don't see how it's more active for the JSDF.

Now the Chinese Politbureau wants to tell Australia`s government what to buy and not to buy? I hope the Australians have a clear answer to that.

Why would China care unless they plan to invade Australia.

As a student going into Maritime Engineering and plans to work under Mitsubishi Heavy Industries or IHI Industries, this is good news. This has nothing to do with Japan's "militarization", but rather as another way of creating jobs and helping the hurting economy.

I want to be the sales guy that closed that deal. That would be awesome. Salesman of the week parking for a week

"Japan and Australia are leaning towards a multibillion-dollar sale by Tokyo of a fleet of stealth submarines to Canberra’s military in a move that could rile an increasingly assertive China.."

Why would China be riled? They don't want Australia to have submarines? Maybe they had plans to sell Made-in-China subs to Australia?

He warned that any decision to build the submarine overseas would have a broader impact on the economy than the recent decisions by Ford Motor Co, Toyota Motor Corp and General Motors Co to cease manufacturing in Australia.

We are incapable of building submarines. We have had enough trouble trying to build ships which have seen budget blowouts and time delays as they struggle to get them right. Buying these submarines from Japan is the most logical and economical thing to do.

Alejandro S. Arashi

Why would China care unless they plan to invade Australia.

Simple. Sea control.

@Ossan

Why would China be riled?

Because those subs might be used within China's upcoming claims to air and sea zones in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans.

ReformedBasher

Who knows they maybe there already. After all Japan operates 5 already.

@OzKen I agree with you wholeheartedly. Chubbie (Ian Chubb), Australia's chief scientist roasted the government the other day in a speech. The scientific/brain drain from Australia was bad enough when I left to go to grad school 20+ years ago. It is even worse now. There is something fundamentally wrong with a country whose mainstream press still highlights the building of a clothesline as a key technological development.

If a cost is an issue, Australia better lock in because the Yen is getting cheaper by the day against the Australian dollar.

It's good to see Japan and Australia leaning closer together, especially in the face of an increasingly assertive China. While I normally support home-grown military hardware for the jobs they provide, in this case it might be better for Australia to at least work half-and-half with Japan on the submarines, if not buy the completed subs directly from them. The Collins class is a pretty clear indication that building subs from scratch might be a little beyond their scope, whereas the Soryu is the largest non-nuclear submarine, and an impressive one at that. Even scaled down, it'll be a big boost to Australia's marine defence capabilities. With China looking to take over half of the Pacific and Indian Oceans (or all if they can manage it), the Aussies need the best subs they can get as quickly as they get them. Japan has a reputation for efficiency, so it's best to let them do what they do best.

Big step forward for Japan. Hope the deal will be realized.

Just been to Japan and all other asian with dispute with China but seems like the Japanese are naturally haters and arrongant which led me to wonder the books and internet info i read abt Japan was a lie . To bad they leave in such environment .

Was that able to deter 'nuclear subs'? This news has been politicalrized too much

The subs are for Japan's defense as much as for Australia's: Think of the huge unattended back door--oceans of Australia, Indonesia ,India, the Philippines, Taiwan. With Australian subs partially share the job, Japan and USA can better concentrate on other matters. So how about the budget divided by three, Japan contributes key components, the shells built by Australian workers, so as to help strengthen its government's pro Japan standing.

Another option for Australia would have been German subs. They have quite some development history.

ReformedBasherSep. 03, 2014 - 09:36AM JST @Ossan "Why would China be riled? " Because those subs might be used within China's upcoming claims to air and sea zones in the South Pacific and >Indian Oceans.

If so China would need to be "riled" at every submarine, surface vessel and aircraft in the world that isn't Chinese. I tend to think that could get pretty tiring.