Re: Re: Re: Re: 태국 해군, 중국산 잠수함 도입 대신 프리깃 도입?

[위종민]

태국 해군의 원급 잠수함 도입이 중국산 엔진 사용 문제로 공전되다가 최근 중국산 엔진을 사용하는 쪽으로 진행되나 싶었는데, 잠수함 조달을 재검토하고 대신 중국에서 프리깃을 도입하는 안을 검토중이라고 합니다. 가격은 잠수함보다 프리깃이 더 높다고 하는데... 프리깃 한 척이 침몰해서 그런 건지. 이 사업도 결정나봐야 알겠네요. 

https://defense-studies.blogspot.com/2023/10/royal-thai-navy-to-switch-from-chinese.html

Royal Thai Navy to Switch from a Chinese Submarine to a Frigate : Defence Minister

24 Oktober 2023

S26T or export version of Type 039A Yuan class submarine (photo : Eseuro)

The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has decided to switch from procuring a submarine from China to a frigate, estimated to cost 17 billion baht compared to the S26T Yuan-class submarine’s price tag of 13.5 billion, Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang said today (Friday).

Thailand had agreed to procure two S26T Yuan-class submarines, to be equipped with German-made engines, from China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Company (CSOC).

An unresolved issue over the submarine’s engine, with Germany refusing to supply China with the technology, has, however, delayed the procurement. Sutin said that the RTN and the Defence Ministry have agreed that the submarine procurement must be reviewed, based on the worthiness of the project vis-à-vis its price tag.

The defence minister said that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin raised the issue with his Chinese counterpart during his visit to China earlier this week and China has agreed to consider the RTN’s plan to switch from submarine to frigate, said Sutin, adding that the submarine procurement project has not been scrapped per se.

The defence minister said he believes the procurement deal could be concluded next month.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/10/thailand-shelves-attack-submarine-purchase-plans/

Thailand Shelves Attack Submarine Purchase Plans - Naval News

 Home»News»Thailand Shelves Attack Submarine Purchase Plans

A scale model of the proposed S26T attack submarine developed for Thailand (Handout)

Thailand Shelves Attack Submarine Purchase PlansDefense minister Sutin Klungsang says the deal is suspended, not cancelled.

Albert Lee  23 Oct 2023

Thailand’s defense minister Sutin Klungsang has announced Thailand’s suspension of its purchase of a Chinese-built S26T diesel-electric attack submarine, with the government accepting the Royal Thai Navy’s proposal to instead procure a frigate from China with the funding allocated for the submarine.

On Monday, Sutin said that he was ready to explain the reasoning for the change of plans to the House Military Affairs Committee, explaining that strategic cooperation and trade ties between China and Thailand were factors contributing to the decision to alter the plans rather than canceling the deal. He defended the 1 billion baht increase in costs caused by the change, saying that the 17 billion baht cost (USD466.27 million) to procure the frigate was the “best way out”.

During his Friday announcement that the submarine procurement was being suspended, Sutin insisted that the project had not been scrapped, saying during a visit to the Royal Thai Navy’s headquarters that it would resume “when the country is ready”.

The Thai submarine program has stalled due to Germany refusing to export the MTU 396 engine intended to power the submarine, with Berlin citing compliance with an European Union embargo on arms exports to China that has been in place since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. 

While the previous Royal Thai Navy chief Admiral Choeingchai Chomchoengpaet approved a plan to use the Chinese-made CHD620 engine as an alternative to the MTU engine after receiving additional performance guarantees from China last month, the new Thai government did not accept the proposal to proceed with the CHD620. Instead, it requested the Navy propose alternatives to procuring the submarine. The Navy proposed purchasing either a frigate or an offshore patrol vessel as alternatives to the submarine, with the government selecting the frigate.

The S26T Program

A Type 093A Yuan-class submarine

The Royal Thai Navy announced its intent to procure three attack submarines in 2015, selecting a modified export variant of China’s Yuan-class attack submarines. The 2,550 ton, 77.7 meters long S26T design features a Stirling-type air-independent propulsion system in addition to the MTU 396 diesel engine, providing at-sea endurance of up to 65 days with mixed use of the conventional diesel-electric and AIP systems.

A government-to-government contract worth USD 390 million for the first submarine was signed in May 2017, with steel on the submarine cut on 4 September 2018. The submarine was supposed to have been completed last month, but its completion date has slipped to April 2024, with builders China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Company blaming the delay on the impact of COVID-19.

The navy’s requests since 2020 for funding of the remaining two submarines have not been approved to date, with lawmakers questioning the program’s necessity as the Thai economy recovers from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A different export variant of the Yuan-class is being built for the Pakistan Navy as the Hangor class of submarines.