Australia and Sweden have achieved a "significant milestone
agreement" relating to Intellectual Property rights for submarine design
and technology, Defence Minister Stephen Smith said Thursday.
The
agreement followed extensive negotiations between Australia's Defence
Materiel Organisation and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration,
Smith said in a statement issued jointly with Sweden's Minister for
Defence Karin Enstrom, reported Xinhua.
"This agreement gives
effect to Australia's rights to use and disclose Swedish Intellectual
Property rights for complex submarine design and technology," Smith
said.
"Defence materiel cooperation has been a key feature of the
Sweden-Australia relationship, most notably in the area of submarine
technology where our collaboration over the construction and support of
the Collins submarines has spanned two decades, and more recently, with
the vital 'sense and warn' capability provided to protect our troops in
Afghanistan," he added.
In 1987, Australia ordered six submarines
of the Collins Class designed by Swedish firm Kockums AB. The
submarines were built in Adelaide and will be in service for another 20
years.
Australia is now planning for their replacement with 12
new boats with the recent 2013 Defence White Paper settling on two
options - an evolution of Collins or a completely new design.
Smith
said the government announced last year it would engage Kockums to
undertake initial design studies for the evolved Collins. But before
that could occur, Australia needed to reach an agreement with Sweden on
use of Collins and other Swedish technology for the Future Submarine
Program.
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