By Thai Newsroom Reporters
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER-cum-Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said today (Nov. 27) the navy’s long-delayed project to buy a Chinese-built submarine is as yet being put on hold, pending a “viability study” on it.
Phumtham said the navy’s plan to procure the 12.4 billion baht, Yuan-class S26T submarine without a German-made engine as earlier specified is yet to undergo a “viability study” with intent to maintain optimum interest of the country.
The civilian defence minister declined to tell how soon the “viability study” on the navy’s submarine project could probably be finished so that the current coalition government may finally give approval to it.
He was apparently responding to navy chief Adm. Jiarpon Wongwit’s visit to him yesterday inquiring about progress in the Pheu Thai-led government’s handling of the submarine procurement project where part of the purchase contract has been amended to provide for the installation of a Chinese-made CHD620 engine in place of an unavailable German-made MTU396 engine.
Phumtham, largely known as a right-hand man for de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra, remarked that he needed to have the “viability study” on the S26T submarine thoroughly conducted since, he said, he has only begun to be in charge of the Ministry of Defence for a few months though his predecessor, namely former defence minister Sutin Khlangsang, had been attached to a previous Pheu Thai-led government.
Admirals have been reportedly on edge over the Pheu Thai-led government’s dilly-dally position toward the navy’s Chinese submarine, a copycat of a Soviet-built, Kilo-class one which would be Thailand’s first in six decades.
Sutin had earlier proposed a frigate be procured by the navy in lieu of the troublesome submarine sought after since the last several years but the admirals almost immediately shook their heads.
CAPTIONS:
Top: A Yuan-class submarine. Photo via Twitter and and published by Eurasiantimes.com
Insert: Deputy Prime Minister/Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. Photo: Thai Rath
Front Page: A Chinese submarine. Photo: Amarin TV
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