Netherlands select France's Naval Group for submarines deal
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Transcript
00:00 "I am proud, and if I'm completely honest, also a little relieved, that today I can announce
00:05 who will build our new submarines.
00:08 The shipyard that will build our four new submarines is Naval Group."
00:14 The Dutch Defence Minister is not the only one to be relieved.
00:18 France wants to get as many prestigious contracts as possible.
00:23 Its naval industry is still recovering from the submarine crisis with Australia.
00:28 When Canberra cancelled three years ago a huge deal over 12 submarines, only to turn
00:33 to the US and British models.
00:36 A move that France described as a backstabbing.
00:40 Three international groups were in competition for the Dutch contract.
00:44 This is why the government says it chose Naval Group.
00:48 "They made the best offer, the best boat for the best price, and a strong Dutch participation."
00:53 No Dutch company can currently build submarines on its own, but lawmakers who will make or
00:59 break the deal want to bring as much work as possible to Dutch industries.
01:04 A group of MPs favours a Swedish-Dutch consortium instead of the French.
01:10 The Dutch military say the French diesel-electric model would revamp their arsenal.
01:15 "The weapon systems will be modernised, the way we communicate will be modernised.
01:20 Basically everything we do right now will be done in a much more modern, better way
01:26 than we did in the past."
01:28 The military, though, say that more than the model itself, what's important is to get
01:33 started with the building of the submarines to bring the Royal Navy up to speed as soon
01:39 as possible.
01:40 (bell dings)