Japan won’t share secret submarine technology with anyone

February 09, 2015 10:00PM

Secrecy ... The Japanese are refusing to share vital information about the Soryu Class submarine with Australia. Picture: Supplied. Source: Supplied

JAPAN has been accused of refusing to share vital performance details about its top-secret Soryu Class submarines with Australian officials.

Australia has asked Japanese officials to provide critical information about stealth, power and combat system integration issues for the 4200-tonne boat considered front runner in the race to be the Navy’s future submarine, but Japan has so far declined to provide access to the information.


Despite Australia asking Japan to provide vital data about the stealth, power and combat system integration issues of the Soryu Class submarines — which are set to replace the ageing Collins Class submarines (above) — Japan has kept silent. Picture: Supplied. Source: Supplied

News Corporation also understands that the government’s 2015 Defence White Paper — due out by June — explores cutting the number of submarines from 12 to eight, with an option for two more and a budget well below $20 billion.

The 2009 White Paper included a requirement for 12 boats, but defence sources have argued strongly that the Royal Australian Navy could not crew that number of submarines.

The first one or two boats will be built overseas by the successful bidder with the rest to be assembled at ASC in Adelaide — which will likely be split and absorbed by the successful bidder — under a rolling schedule.

Japan has promised that the first two boats could be delivered within three years.

Mr Abbott threw open the doors for a competition on the weekend when he said Australian firms could bid.

Yesterday he ruled out any secret deal with Japan to buy its boats.

He said Australia wanted the best possible submarines at the best possible price to replace the ageing Collins Class fleet.


French ballistic nuclear submarine. Picture: AFP, French Navy Source: AFP

“There are no secret deals,” Mr Abbott said.

A spokesman for Defence Minister Kevin Andrews said the decision on a design partner and construction of the submarines will be based on a competitive evaluation process that takes fully into account capability requirements, cost, schedule, technical risk and value for money considerations.

“Any Australian company that can credibly meet these criteria will be considered on merit, as will potential international partners,” the spokesman said.

He did not address a specific question about issues with the Japanese negotiations.

The most likely solution appears to be a competitive evaluation process between Japan, Germany, France and Sweden.

Two options would be selected to fight it out in a competitive tender for the nation’s biggest ever defence project.

The most crucial element of its military “crown jewels” that Japan is unwilling to share with anyone is how the Soryu boats can cruise submerged at 20 knots with virtually no noise signature.

Stealth is a submarine’s greatest weapon and the Soryu is thought to be the most stealthy diesel powered submarine ever built.


HDW Class 216 Submarine is a long-range, multi-mission two-deck fuel cell submarine with exceptional endurance. Picture: ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Source: Supplied

The second area of concern is the boat’s propulsion system and exactly how it can provide an operating life of almost double that of the Collins Class boats.

“Without that information we cannot go with the Japanese option,” a defence source told News Corp.

The third area of concern is the integration of a US combat system and weapons into the Japanese hull.

The final hurdle is the perceived lack of security at the ASC shipyard in Adelaide and Australia in general.

“The Japanese are far better at security than we are,” a senior source said.

It is understood that Japanese officials pointed to an Australian TV documentary on the Collins boats that clearly revealed the subs’ noise signature.

German ministers and senior corporate executives are in Canberra this week pushing hard for German firm ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and its (yet to be built) type 216 boat.

It is understood that navy officers have been told not to engage at all with the German delegation.

South Australian officials have pushed hard for Australian involvement in both the build and through-life support phase which will account for about 60 per cent of the project’s total outlays.

South Australian Defence Industries Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith welcomed the move to a competitive process.

Australia apparently wants to acquire propulsion and other core submarine technologies from Japan. However, these technologies are high-level defense secrets, according to Katsutoshi Kawano, chief of staff at the Maritime Self-Defense Force. Japan and Australia are exploring ways to realize bilateral submarine cooperation without transferring secret technologies.

Other reports point to Japanese caution about completely handing over its submarine technology to Australia. Submarines are categorised as the ‘most sensitive of all sensitive information’. For this reason the Japanese military, and especially the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) whose cooperation will be essential if the deal goes ahead, has major reservations about the deal. MSDF officers ‘don’t tell colleagues, let alone family members, where a submarine is headed after it leaves port’. Japan and the US, which share some information gathered by submarines, do not share the location or ability of each submarine.