Looks like France is very upset with Italy. They were totally surprised by the Italian deal. Lol.
The thunderclap of Fincantieri in Indonesia strongly shakes France
The slap is enormous for the French export team. Especially since nobody saw it coming.
Michel Cabirol
June 17, 2021, 6:00
5 mins
Will Naval Group's FDI sink Fincantieri's FREMM? (Credits: Naval Group)
Fincantieri's mega-hit in Indonesia announced a week ago is making waves in France. Waves in depth for the moment even if a few bubbles rise to the surface as the great disappointment on Franco-Italian cooperation expressed by the General Delegate for Armaments (DGA) Joël Barre during his hearing at the National Assembly no open to the press. It must be said that the importance of thej contract of 4.1 billion euros (six Italian FREMM frigates and the modernization and sale of two Maestrale frigates), rightly calls out in France at the time when the charge of the Lorient shipyard to Naval Group is not insured for the moment beyond 2028 (after the end of the construction of the five FDI frigates for the French Navy).
And this especially since this contract is already in force, according to certain sources from La Tribune.
A lot of questions
Within Naval Group, which has not submitted offers, according to corroborating sources, and within the ministry, the announcement of the contract by Fincantieri surprised many and must have been difficult to digest. It also refers Naval Group and the government to its desire to engage in European cooperation at all costs, and particularly in the naval sector with Fincantieri within Naviris, the joint company specializing in surface vessels. The Indonesian contract of the Italian shipyard is therefore a huge slap in the face for France, which today feels betrayed by its partner. Perhaps out of naivety, the France team however gave the stick to be beaten.
Also, several questions arise after this huge French disappointment: why Naval Group did not submit an offer? What role did Naviris play in this offer? Why were the French so surprised by this announcement? Are the Italians reliable partners within Naviris? While the Italians, who have therefore sold six FREMMs to Indonesia, offer this type of frigates in Greece, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, why has France preferred the FDI to the FREMM?
Naval Group in Indonesia
In Indonesia, the French naval group has somewhat abandoned the surface ship campaigns launched by the Indonesian navy in favor of the prospect of submarines considered more strategic and, perhaps more affordable. It is a choice that was made several years ago by the former CEO Hervé Guillou, then continued by Pierre Eric Pommellet. Other sources believe that Naval Group was even prevented from submitting an offer due to secret agreements between Naval Group and Fincantieri, which shared the world commercially at the time of the creation of Naviris. In this context, Indonesia as well as the Philippines would have been "reserved" for Italian. This agreement did exist, according to a source familiar with the matter, but was torn apart by the blows of a penknife given by Fincantieri in countries "reserved" for Naval Group (Greece, Saudi Arabia and Egypt).
Was it Fincantieri or Naviris, which brought the Italian offer to Indonesia? The sale of the six Italian FREMMs is, according to our information, a project carried commercially by Fincantieri and carried on the political level by a state-to-state market. On the other hand, there is doubt about the renovation of the Maestrale, which could be carried out within the framework of the joint venture between Fincantieri and Naval Group. In any case, in France nobody saw anything coming. Neither the State, nor the intelligence services, nor Naval Group and nor Thales, whose Dutch subsidiary is nevertheless very present in Indonesia. Fincantieri negotiated to the end quietly in the greatest secrecy with Jakarta, where the announcement of the contract with Fincantieri is also making waves. Question: Weren't the compliance services too zealous in blindfolding and covering the ears of France in Indonesia, and more generally in the world?
Read more:
La claque est énorme pour l'équipe de France à l'export. D'autant que personne n'a rien vu venir.
www.latribune.fr
www.kemhan.go.id
