Defense official defends French submarine-making capability

PARIS (AP) — The spokesperson for France’s Defense Ministry has used Twitter to offer a robust defense of the country’s submarine-making capabilities and to criticize Australia’s decision to choose the United States as a partner in a major defense deal. Defense Ministry spokesman Herve Grandjean devoted a series of tweets to tearing into the deal, which also includes Britain. Australia plans to cancel a multi-billion-dollar contract to buy diesel-electric French submarines and acquire U.S. nuclear-powered vessels instead. The French government has suggested it was betrayed by the deal’s announcement last week. Grandjean charged Tuesday that Australia’s decision means the country is likely to get the submarines a decade later than planned.