TSAMTO, October 24. The Thai Navy has decided to abandon plans to acquire S26T class submarines in China (a modified export version of the Type-041 "Yuan" class DPL) and purchase a new frigate.
According to Thai PBS World, citing a statement by Thai Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang, this issue was discussed by Prime Minister Settha Thavisin with his Chinese counterpart last week during a visit to China.
According to the Defense Minister, the Chinese side agreed to consider the Thai Navy's plan to switch from the purchase of submarines to a frigate, the cost of which is estimated at 17 billion. baht (the price of one S26T class DPL is 13.5 billion . baht). The deal could be concluded as early as next month.
S. Klungsang added that the submarine procurement project is currently "closed", but not "written off" as such in the future.
As previously reported by TSAMTO, in June 2015, following consideration of the proposals of shipbuilding companies from China, Russia, Germany, the Republic of Korea and Sweden, the Thai Navy decided to acquire the proposed Chinese Shipbuilding Industry Corporation CSIC (China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation) S26T class DPL, which is a modified export version of the "Yuan" class NPL ("Type-041"). The project was frozen for some time due to the wave of criticism that arose in the country and resumed in 2016, when the government approved a fundamental plan for the purchase of three submarines built in China with a total cost of 36 billion. baht.
The contract is worth 13.5 billion. The command of the Thai Navy signed a BAT for the supply of the first DPL of the S26T project with the Chinese Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Corporation CSOC (China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Corporation) on May 4, 2017.
Steel cutting for the construction of the submarine began in China in September 2018, the keel laying ceremony took place at Wuchang Shipbuilding in Wuhan on September 5, 2019. The construction was expected to be completed in mid-2023. Nevertheless, at the beginning of 2022, the construction of the submarine faced a problem due to the refusal of the German company Motor and Turbine Union to supply MTU396 engines in connection with the embargo imposed by the European Union on the sale of military equipment to China.
In response, CSOC offered to install a new Chinese-made CHD620 engine on the submarine. At first, the Thai government refused the offer, insisting on installing German engines in accordance with the terms of the contract, or its termination. Nevertheless, realizing that the cancellation of the purchase could negatively affect relations with China in other areas, the Thai government softened its demands.
Most experts were inclined to believe that the parties would reach a compromise, taking into account the close ties and the terms of sale proposed by China. It was assumed that due to the replacement of the power plant, the delivery dates of the head DPL could be postponed to 2024.
The Thai Navy planned to conclude a contract for the supply of two additional S26TS in 2020, but initially due to COVID-19, and later due to the difficult economic situation in the country and technical issues that arose, the project was postponed.
