By Thai Newsroom Reporters
DEFENCE MINISTER PHUMTHAM Wechayachai confirmed last night (Oct. 25) the navy’s long-delayed plan to buy a Chinese-built S26T submarine will be finalised sooner than later.
Phumtham said the navy’s plan to buy the Yuan-class S26T submarine from China Shipbuilding & Offshore International with a Chinese-made engine to be installed aboard in place of a German engine has been so far supported by some and opposed by others.
Phumtham, viewed as a right-hand man for de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra, said Thai-Chinese relationship as a whole will be taken into account alongside the navy’s Chinese submarine project.
He made his comment last night in the face of the 12.4 billion baht submarine purchase contract which is scheduled to expire next month.
Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that the submarine procurement project pushed by former navy chiefs will be finally concluded during his current tenure at the Ministry of Defence.
The civilian defence minister did not elaborate but said the S26T submarine purchase plan has apparently hit snags over the last several years.
Some navy admirals had earlier pushed for the replacement of the German-made MTU396 engine with the Chinese-made CHD620 engine despite the fact that the Chinese one has never been used by any world navies, including the Chinese navy.
Among other European Union member states, Germany had practically boycotted export of weapon systems and military hardware to China.
CAPTIONS:
Top: A Chinese-built S26T submarine. Photo: Photoen.cn and published by China Daily
Insert: Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. Photo: Thai Rath
Front Page: A Yuan-class submarine. Photo via Twitter and published by Eurasiantimes.com
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