Japanese submarine purchase would be historic and controversial

Australia’s move towards buying up to 12 Japanese Soryu submarines represents a historic and deeply controversial shift in national defence and military acquisition policy.

If, as seems increasingly likely, political and industry leaders in Tokyo and Canberra can agree on terms, the Japanese submarines would be Australia’s first major strategic defence procurement from an Asian power and would significantly boost the country’s regional maritime power.

The purchase stands squarely at the crossroads of government foreign policy and naval defence strategy, defence budget management, naval shipbuilding and maintenance policy, defence industry investment and employment policy, national economic management, domestic electoral considerations and residual hostilities over Japanese actions during the second world war.

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