A defense deal between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom aimed at reining in China in the Pacific has angered France, which lost a lucrative submarine contract with Australia. Why do Democratic allies with the same general goals undermine each other?
The crux of the problem is that Australia initially wanted conventionally powered submarines, and signed a contract with France in 2016. But the security situation in the region has since deteriorated significantly in terms of the threat from China. There was a rethink in Canberra along the lines of, “Look, to be able to effectively deal with the expansion of Chinese naval power and China’s bullying on Australia, we’re going to need more powerful submarines.”
Nuclear powered submarines are much more powerful than conventional powered submarines, are more stealthy, have a much longer range, and can operate for longer periods underwater. To meet the challenge from the Chinese, who are building submarines and ships in droves, there is no choice but to invest in better technology.
News Source : The Indian Express
