IMHO it is nothing to do with the French and as they had not been able to satisfy the Australians and build an impossible concept, they are probably happy to be out of it
The sub deal was bad from the start
The Aussie defense experts idiots looked at a perfectly good sub and said we will buy it IF it is diesel so as to pacify the idiot greens in our country
A Nuclear sub is much smaller than a modern diesel so the new sub had to be designed from the ground up WHY WHY
So many design challenges, many cost overflows, many delays and we were not going to get them until about 2040
The USA is another whole argument, they are looking at thee points of the compass to spread their power. their defense and to do so in SAFE countries
So it has given the Australian government a convenient way out of another disastrous defense contract and they make the US happy and they don't have to make any more decisions, just do what they are told
