Japan & Australia consider submarine deal that could rattle China

[Ray]

Concerns regarding the Kra canal have never entirely dissipated and have bubbled away beneath the surface ever since, with fears most prominently and recently highlighted under the George W. Bush administration. In 2005 a paper prepared by Booz Allen Hamilton (the same company contractor and 'whistleblower' Edward Snowden was employed by) for US secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld was leaked to the Washington Times, it stated:

"China is considering funding construction of a $20 billion canal across the Kra Isthmus that would allow ships to bypass the Strait of Malacca. The canal project would give China port facilities, warehouses and other infrastructure in Thailand aimed at enhancing Chinese influence in the region."

This paper formed the foundation for the 'String of Pearls' theory, the US proposition that China was seeking to strategically strangle India by encircling it with leased naval bases- the theory these days having largely been debunked as a myth, though some like James Holmes maintain the realist position that despite not being a threat now, don't discount it not being the case in the future- an always impossible position to refute and pertinent to the point that follows.
The Kra canal: A dream one step closer to reality? | International Security Discipulus

 

[Zebra]

Thailand Route 44 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It roughly follows the route that a centuries-discussed Thai Canal might follow, if ever built.

[Route 44 (in red)]

 

[Zebra]

Australia leans toward buying Japan subs to upgrade fleet - sources | Reuters

By Tim Kelly and Nobuhiro Kubo
TOKYO Mon Sep 1, 2014 10:34am BST

Twelve top-of-the-line Soryu subs at $500 million each, plus maintenance and overhaul, would work out cheaper for Australia as it grapples with austerity.

 

[apple]

Australia leans toward buying Japan subs to upgrade fleet - sources | Reuters

By Tim Kelly and Nobuhiro Kubo
TOKYO Mon Sep 1, 2014 10:34am BST

Lookie, lookie a relevant post on this thread How did that happen...

"Austerity" measures is going a bit far. Although since (largely) leaving Iraq and Afghanistan, Australia has most definitely cut its defence budget and barring us making large, overseas military deployments in the near future it will problem stay around present levels in the short to medium term.

@amoy Has this "aggressive, provocative" move by Australia even been reported much/ at all in China? How about Japan exporting weapons?

 

[Zebra]

Saab Makes Late Pitch For Australian Sub Project | Defense News | defensenews.com

Sep. 13, 2014 - 03:45AM |
By GERARD O'DWYER

 

[Zebra]

Few days back I said it, there will be political WW2 over Soryu class, it started now.

Australia leaning towards buying Soryu-class subs - IHS Jane's 360

* Australian officials are leaning towards replacing the Collins-class submarine fleet with Soryu-class boats bought from Japan
* The purchase would end submarine construction in Australia and the opposition Labor Party has said it would cancel the deal if it won the 2016 general election

Despite political opposition and apparently contradictory ministerial statements, it appears increasingly likely that Australia will replace its Collins-class submarines with 4,200-tonne Soryu-class submarines built in Japan....

 

[apple]

Few days back I said it, there will be political WW2 over Soryu class, it started now.

Yeah, this, or something very much like this, was pretty much guaranteed to happen. Tens of billions of dollar (mostly going overseas), thousands of lost jobs and a project that will last, at least, 15 years.

Forget how long politics have been played with the Collins class of submarines that Australia presently use. These really long term public projects are political gold in that as the project develops, each successive government can blame the preceding govt. for any, real or perceived, problems with the project.