Australia's A$50 billion ($35 billion) submarine order with French shipbuilder Naval Group is running nine months late and the defense department cannot show that A$396 million already spent on the contract was effective, according to an audit report.
![Australian $35 billion French submarine contract is already nine months late: report](https://media.zenfs.com/en-US/reuters.com/22324cd406c953b2bccbb7766cd800bc)
The submarines are at the center of Australia's plan to expand its military and protect strategic and trade interests in the Asia-Pacific region.
Australia's opposition Labor said the delay just one year after the contact was signed was "deeply concerning", but Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said the program required a long-term focus.