Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Hansard source

Order!

I pause to say that one of the top end requirements is for a tonnage in a submarine of 3,400 tonnes. This is beyond what Collins now is. The Germans, of course, have never built a submarine of those dimensions. That is a very important consideration, and we will engage with TKMS as to what proposals they have and will put on the table. A vital part of that will be where the build is to take place and what cost there is in acquiring our submarine capability. In the last 12 months we have been working assiduously to perfect and to finalise our top end requirements so that we can engage these companies and get the best capability for our Navy. That, at the end of the day, is what this is all about.