The building of 12 new submarines to replace the Royal Australian Navys Collins-class fleet represents the largest defense acquisition program in Australia's history.
The 2016 Defence White Paper has foreseen a gradual acquisition process lasting around 2-3 decades and a budget that will run into tens of billions of dollars.
However, the Future Submarine Program has become politically controversial, especially regarding foreign participation in the construction process.
Japan, along with France and Germany, is among the three contenders selected by the Australian government to make bids for the project.
The 2016 Defence White Paper has foreseen a gradual acquisition process lasting around 2-3 decades and a budget that will run into tens of billions of dollars.
However, the Future Submarine Program has become politically controversial, especially regarding foreign participation in the construction process.
Japan, along with France and Germany, is among the three contenders selected by the Australian government to make bids for the project.