AUKUS: France fears shipbuilding losses due to new Indo-Pacific partnership

Shortly after the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia announced their defence partnership 'AUKUS' concerning the Indo-Pacific region, France expressed disappointment over the decision saying that the partnership will affect their business with Australia on diesel-electric submarines. France is expected to lose a huge shipbuilding contract with Canberra, valued at at least 90 billion Australian dollars.  

Speaking on the same, French naval shipbuilder Naval Group expressed their disappointment on the development.  The Australian government's recent decision halting the "Future Submarine Program" with France, excludes the country from a structuring partnership with Australia, the French government said in a statement. 

France reacts to AUKUS Partnership

An official statement was also issued by the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, and Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly.  After taking note of the recent decision, the statement said that the partnership is contrary to the spirit of cooperation which earlier prevailed between France and Australia on the basis of a high-level defence industrial and technological base. The statement added that excluding the country in a crisis situation in the Indo Pacific region shows Australia's "lack of coherence." 

"The regrettable decision that has just been announced regarding the FSP program only reinforces the need to make the issue of European strategic autonomy loud and clear", it said. 

AUKUS aimed at safer & secure Indo-Pacific cooperation

Earlier, US President Joe Biden along with the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and Australia announced AUKUS, a partnership on trilateral security. The new partnership is aimed at safer and more secure Indo-Pacific cooperation. The first project under AUKUS will help Australia acquire a nuclear powered conventional armed submarine fleet. 

The three heads of state reaffirmed their intention to continue to work with their allies and groupings in tandem with 'AUKUS', with the QUAD being mentioned by Australian PM Scott Morrison and Biden, though they were not specific on details.

QUAD leaders - Indian PM Narendra Modi, Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga, US President Joe Biden, and Austraian PM Scott Morrison - are to meet at the White House for their first in-person engagement, on September 25. Both QUAD and now AUKUS are more than likely to be seen as counterweights to China's growing muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region.

(Image: AP)