What about if Singaporean Navy were interested to buy a pair or two?
Still the potential for IP and various ITARS issues given where some of the
Collins-class kit is sourced from. Not to mention whether or not the capabilities would fit with what Singapore wants/needs for their subs. Apart from operating in the tropics, the waters around Singapore are much more confined (like around the Baltic for Sweden) than some of the blue water ops which the RAN does.
If memory serves, some of the old O boats would occasionally be sent north to take some, ahem, -stok photos... From inside the harbor once at least IIRC. I suspect that any Singaporean sub would be tasked more to provide ISR and act as a potential threat to any force which might threaten or seek to cut the SLOC to and through Singapore. Which means the need to potentially engage attack nukes in deep water is unneeded. By the same token, I do not see Singapore's armed forces configured for amphibious operations away from Singapore such that a 'friendly' sub would be needed to sanitize an area prior to the arrival of the assault vessels.
Basically the RAN needs to be able to operate both 'locally' as well as very far from Oz, which is something few other nations really require, especially from conventional subs. Only Canada and to a lesser degree, Japan, have such requirements (at least for Western subs).
