Originally Posted by
Flap Track 6
The main industrial partners for UK SSNs (BAES, RR & Babcock) are all looking at expansion into Australia for their Marine business units. All three already have Australian subsidiaries and significant in country marine design and manufacturing operations already. The head of BAES Australia Marine is a former head of Babcock UK Marine Division.
An Australian SSN program is something they all wish to be heavily involved with and are looking at significant local workshare.
Of course it is. There's money there. However, the ability to access that money will actually depend on whether they can staff it - and staff it with competent people. Knowing a couple of the Chief engineers in both BAES and Babcock, their constant cry is for more bodies. Bodies that can't just be plucked out of university, or existing organisations. Hence the emphasis for VERY careful balancing of timescale and budget. There's the art of the possible and there's throwing money at a wall and hoping some of it sticks.