By Thai Newsroom Reporters
DEFENCE MINISTER SUTHIN Khlangsaeng has given up on his earlier call for the navy to procure a Chinese-built frigate in place of a troublesome Chinese-built submarine.
The civilian member of cabinet said today (Dec.15) he has finally agreed to the navy’s sustained plan to procure submarines, either from China or elsewhere, despite reported failure on the part of China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co. to procure the German-made MTU396 engine to be installed aboard the Yuan-class S26T submarine already purchased by the Thai navy.
Suthin has earlier pushed for the procurement of a yet-unspecified Chinese-built frigate in fiscal 2024 to add to a fleet of six frigates in replacement of the S26T submarine the delivery of which has been repeatedly put off due to lack of the German-made engine as specified in the purchase contract.
Nevertheless, according to the defence minister, the navy’s long-awaited maritime strategic development scheme will remain intact with respect to the planned procurement of the Chinese-built submarine, a sum of seven billion baht in down payment for which has been earlier made.
Navy chief Adm.Udong Pan-iam said the Office of the Attorney-General is expected to respond by the end of this month as to whether the submarine purchase contract between the Thai navy and Chinese shipbuilding firm may be eventually scrapped so that the navy could possibly look to procure one from any manufacturing country other than China.
Admirals have so far remained non-committal over whether the Chinese-built CHD620 engine may be acceptable as replacement for the unavailable German engine whilst persisting that it is time the navy deployed its first submarine in six decades.
The navy chief has earlier said he would prefer the Chinese-built submarine rather than a Chinese-built frigate, which might be built by another Chinese shipbuilder instead of the one which has built the S26T submarine without the German-made engine for the Thai navy.
However, Adm. Adung said the Chinese-made CHD620 engine is a licensed derivative of the German-made MTU396 engine and has already been tested by the manufacturing firm.
The navy has long planned to deploy a fleet of four submarines, essentially viewed as a “strategic” weapon system beginning with the S26T submarine for which a 12.4 billion baht purchase contract has been earlier signed though the future procurement of a couple of follow-on submarines of the same type have already been put on hold by former navy chief Somprasong Nilsamai.
Thailand’s neighboUring states, namely Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Myanmar currently deploy varied types of submarines, including those manufactured by Russia, Germany, Sweden and South Korea.
The navy has also planned to procure a couple of frigates to add to a fleet of six Chinese-built ones currently deployed, including two Naresuan-class frigates and four Chao Phraya-class frigates.
CAPTION:
Composite photos showing Defence Minister Suthin Khlangsaeng and a Chinese-built submarine. Credit: Matichon
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