Jean-Dominique Merchet, Opinion journalist, expert on military issues and author of the blog “Secret Défense” said on Thursday, September 16 in franceinfo that France was coming “get a big slap” while Australia broke the contract that provided for the purchase of 12 French submarines for a value of 56 billion euros. Ultimately, Australia prefers American submarines. A choice that is part of a new security alliance between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia in the Indo-Pacific zone in relation to China. “France now undoubtedly wants to play on a court that is no longer theirs,” he estimated.
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Franceinfo: Even signed a contract remains uncertain?
Jean-Dominique Merchet: Yes, obviously. But more generally, this means, and sad to say, that France now no doubt wants to play in a court that is no longer hers, whether in diplomatic or military terms. We just got a big slap. The point is that we are not weighing in on the Indo-Pacific issues, where we want to play a role disproportionate to our capabilities.
Do we still have strategic interests in this region?
Everyone has strategic interests in this region. They tell us things because, in fact, we have New Caledonia, Tahiti, but it’s not serious. For Australians, the guarantee of security for both the Japanese and the rest is American, American and American. As a nuclear power in which we have a permanent seat on the Security Council, we believe that we are still capable of playing in this court and we are not anymore.
What do you think of the nature of the American contract?
It’s really the first time. Until now, only the Russians had rented a nuclear attack submarine from the Indians for ten years. It is not a submarine that has nuclear weapons, but it is a submarine that is powered by a nuclear power plant on board. The Indians returned it in June because it was an old submarine they had had problems with.
“There, for the first time in history, a country that is a democracy, which one would expect to be the bearer, not of international disorder or an arms race, sells extremely sophisticated equipment to one of its allies.”
Jean-Dominique Merchet, journalistto France
They will keep very close control, because Australia has absolutely no nuclear competence. There isn’t even a civilian nuclear power plant in Australia. But still, they open a door, it’s a bit of Pandora’s box because tomorrow it’s going to stop the Chinese from selling nuclear attack submarines to Pakistan or the Russians from selling nuclear attack submarines. In Algeria, for example? Who can say, “It’s not good. We don’t do things like that”?
Isn’t this the first time France has had a contract “stolen” at the last moment?
In June, the French Rafale was one of the preferred planes for this contract, among others. Joe Biden goes to Geneva. The day after Joe Biden’s visit to Geneva, the Swiss government announced that it was buying American F-35s. We can see that the French room for maneuver is extremely limited when Washington, whoever the president is, decided to impose its law.
