France offers stealth sub technologies

Australia will get full access to stealth technologies used on French nuclear submarines if a bid from French company DCNS to build the navy's next fleet of subs is successful.

The stealth technologies were the crown jewels of French submarine design and had never been offered to any other country, the company told a forum in Adelaide on Thursday.

The very nature of these stealth technologies and the decision to release them to the Australian government is a significant demonstration of the strategic nature of this program for the French authorities, DCNS said.

It has proposed two strategies to build eight submarines, one using shipyards in both France and Adelaide, and the other involving building the vessels only in Adelaide.

Each option has different costs and benefits, and ultimately the choice of how the submarines will be built is a decision for the Australian government to make, the company says, adding that the submarines will take longer to build and cost more if the government opts for the wholly local option. It says both options allow for the transfer of technology to Australia to ensure the future operation and management of the fleet.

The local build will also create 2900 jobs.

Other groups bidding for both the submarine and future frigate projects are also in Adelaide.

Among these are a German delegation headed by navy chief Vice-Admiral Andreas Krause and representatives of Danish maritime company Odense Maritime Technology.

Both groups toured the city's multi-user Techport shipbuilding facility and the ASC site where Australia's air warfare destroyers are being built.

Acting Defence Industries Minister Kyam Maher said the visits were an opportunity to reinforce SA's readiness to partner with the federal government's preferred bidders for both the future submarines and frigates.

SA appears to be the frontrunner as the site for submarine construction but Defence SA chief Andy Keough said it would not stop lobbying until the contracts were signed.

We don't take anything for granted," he said.