Safran is expanding its partnerships with two Australian companies - Advanced Navigation and Thomas Global Systems - to further the development submarine technology in Australia.
Safran recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Australian company Advanced Navigation to cooperate on the development of inertial navigation systems for land and maritime defence applications. The MoU represents the first step towards close cooperation on the navigation market between the two companies.
The first phase of this cooperation is focused on the navigation subsystem of the Future Submarine program, and will see Safran and Advanced Navigation’s engineers working together as part of a combined project team.
In a statement, Safran said that Sydney-based Company Thomas Global Systems will also play a significant role in the company's future submarine activities. The scope of the partnership —signed in early 2018 to manufacture the PASEO sighting system for Land 400 and 907— has been extended to cover the production of hardware for Safran’s naval systems, including submarine optronics and navigation systems.
“We believe this approach will have a positive and enduring effect on Australia’s defence industry," Alexis de Pelleport, CEO of Safran Electronics & Defense Australasia, said.
"We see this as the most effective path to bring cutting-edge submarine technology to Australia, and it will make real progress towards establishing sovereign capability for the ADF."
The announcement comes as negotiations between the government and Naval Group continue for a preliminary strategic partnering agreement (SPA) for the Future Submarine.
Negotiations were supposed to conclude in 2017, but a report quotes sources as saying that this timeframe was unrealistic. The SPA schedule has reportedly been amended several times.
Meanwhile, Japan's Foreign Minister has been quoted by the ABC as saying that the country is still willing to sell submarines to Australia should negotiations fall through.