Part 2 of 4 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
     By August of 2021, it was obvious that the French Naval Group were unable to satisfy the Australians. Australia decided to move on without the French.
      Australia’s next fleet of submarines will be nuclear-powered under an ambitious plan to scrap the controversial sixty-billion-dollar program to build twelve French-designed conventional submarines. Australia will utilize U.S. and U.K. technology to configure its next submarine fleet to replace its existing Collins class submarines with a ship more suitable to the deteriorating strategic environment.
     Australia, the U.S. and the U.K. are expected to jointly announce a new trilateral security treaty on Thursday. The focus of the treaty will be aligning technology and regional challenges. The new three-country security pact is called AUKUS. It will probably be seen by China as an attempt to counter China’s regional influence, especially in the South China Sea. The nuclear submarines will probably be based in the state of Western Australia.
     Australia’s adoption of nuclear-powered submarines will have serious political and technological challenges because there is no domestic nuclear industry in Australia.
     Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison convened a National Security Committee of Cabinet on Tuesday ahead of the expected coordinated announcements in Washington, D.C. and London. Cabinet ministers attending the Committee meeting were given special Covid exemption to travel to Canberra for the top-secret discussion. In a very unusual move, the Prime Minister also invited Labor Leader Anthony Albanese and three of his senior shadow ministers to be briefed on the submarine plan.
     U.S. media reports say that U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to deliver “brief remarks about a national security initiative”. The President will speak on Wednesday afternoon in Washington, D.C. local time.
     Greg Sammut is the Australian Defense Department’s general manager of submarines. A well-placed Australian military source has released a statement that Sammut has issued an urgent call for a “clear lower decks” meeting to discuss these dramatic developments. Another senior official said that “top secret” briefings have been arranged at the Defense Department on Thursday.
      Inside Australian military circles there is speculation that the transition to a new nuclear submarine project could initially be overseen by Retired U.S. Vice Admiral William Hilarides. He is the chairman of the Australian government’s Naval Shipbuilding Expert Advisory Panel. Government sources say that Mr. Morrison attempted to set up a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macro on Wednesday, but the call had to be delayed to Thursday. The news of Australia’s decision was delivered to Paris by Greg Moriarty, the Secretary of the Defense Department.
     Allied naval presence is anticipated to increase north of Australia as part of a coordinated tri-continental push back against China’s recent territorial aggression, especially in the South China Sea. Australia, the U.S. and the U.K. are expected to reorient their submarine and warship fleets to counter China’s increasing regional presence. Regional diplomatic missions across Canberra are expected to be briefed on the announcement on Thursday afternoon.
Please read Part 3 next

Ambient office = 95 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 84 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 85 nanosieverts per hour

Blueberry from Central Market = 108 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 93 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 77 nanosieverts per hour

Part 1 of 4 Parts
     In 2016, Australia began negotiating a contract with France’s Naval Group for the construction of twelve conventionally power Barracuda submarines. The French government is the majority shareholder for the Naval Group. There were extensive disagreements on the budget for the project which resulted in the contract being formally signing being delayed until 2019.
     The original estimate for the project was about thirty six billion dollars. By 2021, the estimated cost had risen to sixty six billion dollars. A doubling of cost in five years was of great concern for Australia.
     One factor that complicated the deal was the insistence by Australia that the Naval Group do much of the construction work in Australia. Former Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the deal in 2016. He said that ninety percent of the construction would happen in Australia. He claimed that two thousand eight hundred jobs would be created for Australians. By 2021, the Naval Group had lowered the percentage of construction that would take place in Australia to sixty percent.
     Another complicating factor turned out to be a culture clash between France and Australia. In 2021, the Naval Group admitted that the two nations did not see eye-to-eye on the submarine project. The Naval Group said that I was designing courses for French expatriates in Australia so they could learn how to “behave, how to understand, and decode,” Australia culture.
     One example of the difference in working practices between the two countries was reveals when Australian officials were stunned by what the French called “la rentrée”. This is the name give to the process by which French workers in Australia would prepare to restart work after the whole company stopped working in August to take a month-long vacation.
    On the other hand, French officials were surprised that Australian officials expected meetings to start on time. The French have a practice known as “diplomatic 15 minutes” This means that anyone who shows up for a meeting within fifteen minutes is considered to be “on time.” The French workers also had a habit of requesting more time because they needed long lunch breaks.
    There had been hints since the beginning 2021 that Australia wanted out of the French submarine contract. In April, the Australian government refused to sign a contract for the next phase of the French submarine project. The Naval Group was given until August to answer Australian concerns and comply with Australian demands.
    Australia signaled in June that it was looking for a way to cancel the Naval Group contract. Australian Defense Secretary Greg Moriarty said, “It became clear to me we were having challenges … over the last 15 to 12 months.” He went on to say that the Australian government was considering its options including what alternatives it had if it was not able to continue with the French deal.
     The French had ample warning for over a year that the Australians were upset about the manner in which the French were operating. They had been given notice that unless they satisfactorily answered the Australian concerns, the contract would not be continued.
Please read Part 2

Ambient office = 108 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 107 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 108 nanosieverts per hour

Tomato from Central Market = 106 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 137 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 119 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient office = 136 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 85 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 81 nanosieverts per hour

White onion from Central Market = 77 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 125 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 112 nanosieverts per hour