Defence experts say the cancellation of the troubled $90 billion Future Submarine Program is unlikely, despite extensive delays and calls to abandon the program amid a race to address perceived gaps in Australia’s defence capability. The comments come as Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison held discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron to salvage the sinking deal. The $90 billion Future Submarine Program was earmarked to deliver 12 state-of-the-art, Attack-class submarines to the Royal Australian Navy. At the time, it was spruiked as one of the largest defence acquisitions in history and was geared towards replacing the ageing Collins-class submarine fleet. In 2016, French defence contractor Naval Group won the tender to build the vessels and was tasked with reconfiguring their top-of-the-line, nuclear-powered Barracuda-class submarine to operate on diesel-electric motors. The Australian government also preferred the submarines as it needed larger vessels that could patrol the country’s vast coastline and reach …