By Thai Newsroom Reporters
.THE NAVY MIGHT PROBABLY procure two major warships, a submarine and a frigate, together within the next fiscal year, said Defence Minister Suthin Khlangsang today (Apr. 5).
Suthin said although negotiations with China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co, manufacturer of a Yuan-class S26T submarine, have not yet concluded following a recent, informal visit to China by navy chief Adm. Adung Pan-iam and himself, he might probably manage to give the navy both different kinds of warship in the same fiscal year or fiscal 2025.
Suthin declined to confirm or deny that any bilateral settlement on the 12.4-billion-baht, Chinese-built submarine on which no German-made engine will be installed as otherwise specified in the purchase contract will be finalised within this month.
The navy had earlier paid some seven billion baht in down payment for the 12.4 billion baht Chinese submarine whose delivery had been indefinitely postponed from last year.
Nevertheless, the defence minister said the navy might probably procure both the long-delayed, troublesome submarine, the country’s first in six decades, and a new frigate in the same fiscal year.
Though it remains to be seen whether all or some of the frigate’s components will be domestically supplied, the navy might probably be provided some 17 billion baht in funding for it in the next fiscal year, according to the defence minister.
During yesterday’s censure debate at parliament, Suthin pledged to significantly promote the domestic defence industry, beginning with the manufacturing of the new frigate for which a shipbuilding firm, either foreign or domestic, is yet to be selected alongside technology transfers.
In the meantime, conflict of interest has apparently occurred between the civilian defence minister and the navy chief over whether the Chinese submarine, a copycat of the Russian-built, Kilo-class submarine, is yet to be eventually procured, albeit without the German MTU396 engine.
Suthin was said to prefer the trouble-plagued submarine deal be finally scrapped and replaced with a Chinese-built frigate but Adm. Adung reportedly insisted that the submarine be procured even with a Chinese-made CHD620 engine. Thailand might possibly become the world’s first customer of a Chinese-built submarine with a Chinese-made engine.
However, the navy chief said today he doubted that a navy plan to buy a new frigate could be completely prepared within the next fiscal year, regardless of whether the Chinese submarine will ever be procured at all.
CAPTION:
Top and Front Page: Defence Minister Suthin Khlangsang. Both photos: Matichon
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