Thai Navy to buy Chinese submarines

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Thai Navy to buy Chinese submarines

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Navy presses for 2nd Chinese sub

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... hinese-sub

B12bn purchase part of 2016 deal for three

The Royal Thai Navy will press ahead with its plan to buy a second submarine worth 12 billion baht from China, according to a navy source.

The navy is waiting for parliament to approve the government's 2020 fiscal budget bill which is expected to be submitted for deliberation before the purchase can be made, the source said.

Under the previous coup-installed government, the cabinet agreed in principle with the navy's plan to buy three submarines from China as part of a 36-billion-baht procurement plan.

The scheme was put before the cabinet on Oct 25, 2016, and required a budget over 11 years.

This was in line with a regulation which indicates that a proposal for a committed budget running for more than five years must be sought from the cabinet within 60 days of the fiscal budget being adopted.

On April 18, 2017, the cabinet approved the first purchase of a Yuan Class S26T submarine worth 13.5 billion baht from China.
The navy and China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co signed the procurement contract in China on May 4, 2017.

Payment for the first submarine is divided into seven instalments.

The navy committed to paying 700 million in the first instalment in 2017 and then two billion baht annually from 2018 until 2023.

Construction began on Sept 7 last year in China, and it is expected to be finished and delivered to the navy in the middle of 2023, the source said.

Plans to acquire submarines have gained new life since the 2014 coup after the navy struggled for years to persuade governments to purchase six second-hand submarines from Germany.

There have been no submarine purchases for more than 60 years and the navy says Thailand needs modern submarines to protect its maritime territorial interests.

They will be stationed in both the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.

In 2011, the navy wanted to buy six German-made second-hand submarines at a cost of 7.7 billion baht, but the plan was shot down by the then Yingluck Shinawatra government.

Former defence minister Gen Yutthasak Sasiprapa also disagreed with the purchase, questioning its cost-effectiveness and transparency.

However, things improved for the navy after the 2014 coup.

In 2015, a source quoted then defence minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon as saying that if submarines were not bought under that government, they might never be bought at all.

The source added that the navy also plans to buy a new landing platform dock ship worth about 4 billion baht from China to help ease the burden on HTMS Angthong, the navy's only existing amphibious transport dock, which has undertaken numerous missions.

The ship was built in Singapore at a cost of 4.9 billion baht.

The source said that the navy wants to buy the second landing platform dock ship from China because it will cost less than HTMS Angthong.

The source also said that after the 2019 law on protecting marine security was enacted, the navy will set up 12 more agencies as part of a restructure to prepare for the wider scope of its task.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will today start working at the Defence Ministry.

The source said Gen Prayut, who succeeds former defence minister Prawit, will hold "unofficial talks" with armed forces chiefs about the reshuffle, which is scheduled to be finished by the middle of next month.
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Re: Navy presses for 2nd Chinese sub

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Now we know why those government departments need all the extra cash ... :roll:
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Re: Navy presses for 2nd Chinese sub

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And don't forget the corruption money........
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Re: Navy presses for 2nd Chinese sub

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Its just more "Toys for Boys". You have to surround yourself with toys to look "awesome" to your neighbors. Just think of all the submarine attacks that could be launched by the Navies in Cambodia, and Myanmar. Dangerous waters they are!
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Re: Navy presses for 2nd Chinese sub

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They should have gone for the used U-boats.
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Re: Navy presses for 2nd Chinese sub

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They don't need them! Waste of money.
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Re: Navy presses for 2nd Chinese sub

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Stop talking about sub, says navy chief
Navy commander Admiral Ruechai Ruddi has warned the public not to discuss plans to purchase a second Chinese-made submarine worth 12 billion baht, saying the final decision on the deal should be left to the House of Representatives.

Adm Ruechai said the navy does not discuss procurement projects in the media, and now that the government's 3.2-trillion-baht budget is being examined by the House, the issue is sensitive.

Asked if the navy's procurement plan for the 2020 fiscal year remained unchanged, he confirmed that no alterations had been made.

"If you ask me whether the second submarine purchase will go ahead or not, you have to ask the House," he said.

His remarks appear to contradict reports that the navy would suspend the submarine purchase and instead buy less expensive frigates.

Earlier this week Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon insisted the navy would go ahead with plans to buy a second submarine.

The cabinet under the previous coup-appointed government gave the green light to buy three submarines from China worth a total of 36 billion baht.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... navy-chief
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Re: Navy presses for 2nd Chinese sub

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buksida wrote: Thu Nov 21, 2019 10:24 am Stop talking about sub, says navy chief
Navy commander Admiral Ruechai Ruddi has warned the public not to discuss plans to purchase a second Chinese-made submarine worth 12 billion baht, saying the final decision on the deal should be left to the House of Representatives.
If spending of public funds can't be discussed by the public, perhaps they should issue us all with a leaflet saying exactly what can be discussed. So much for freedom of speech - it gets worse.
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Re: Navy presses for 2nd Chinese sub

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People forget that whichever way you paint it, this is still very much a military dictatorship.
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Re: Navy presses for 2nd Chinese sub

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As if we could forget :?
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Re: Navy presses for 2nd Chinese sub

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I'm so relieved to know that the gummint is spending money on submarines rather than infrastructure. After all it would be a waste of money to fix the drainage problem in Bangkok, supply potable water to home taps and make it possible to flush toilet paper. Then there's education, health care, etc. But wait! I heard there is a armada from Mongolia, off the coast of Zanzibar and Thailand must protect itself.

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Re: Navy presses for 2nd Chinese sub

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New subs sign of troubles to come?

https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opi ... s-to-come-

The Indian navy just transferred one of its Russian-made Kilo-class diesel-electric attack submarines to the Myanmar navy in late 2019, making it the first submarine ever to be deployed by Myanmar. If there are no technical problems, as Vice Admiral Prachachart Sirisawat, spokesman and deputy chief-of-staff of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) speculated in early December, Myanmar could have put its newly acquired submarine into action in the Andaman Sea from Dec 24 last year.

Myanmar's acquisition of this new naval capability appears to pose an unprecedented, major maritime security challenge to its neighbour, Thailand. The RTN was on alert early last month and quickly ordered close monitoring of Myanmar's submarine deployment in the Andaman Sea to deal with the "new situation". How could Myanmar's submarine acquisition impact Myanmar-Thai maritime security in the Andaman Sea?

Myanmar-Thailand border disputes remain security flashpoints between the two countries. Even though Myanmar and Thailand have rigorously worked on demarcating their land border, some maritime boundaries between them in the Andaman Sea remain unsettled. The standing agreement was ratified by the two countries in February 1982, but it did not determine the sovereignty over Ginga Island (Koh Lam), Koh Khan Island and an unpopulated cliff (Koh Ki Nok) at the mouth of the Pakchan River.

Although Myanmar and Thailand have engaged in a series of negotiations -- in 1985, 1989 and 1990 -- there has been no progress. Myanmar and Thailand ended up declaring the three islands "no man's land". According to Maung Myoe, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the International University of Japan, "the [maritime] issue has remained a source of tension, which led to a series of naval confrontations and clashes in 1998 and 2003". Tensions rose again in September 2013, when Myanmar warship PGM Number 426, as the RTN told the Bangkok Post on Sept 21, 2013, opened fire on a Thai fishing boat, alleging illegal fishing in Myanmar's waters.

With the unsettled maritime boundary and the sporadic confrontations between Myanmar and Thailand, Myanmar's submarine acquisition poses a critical new challenge to the Thai navy -- particularly the 3rd Naval Area Command, which is responsible for controlling territories in the Andaman Sea.

Even though Myanmar has only received one submarine from India, it is highly likely that the Myanmar navy will acquire more submarines over the short to medium term. Myanmar is widely believed to have been negotiating more submarine deals with Russia, India and China.

China, in particular, has become a major supplier of heavy military hardware, including submarines, in the region. Bangladesh, for example, acquired two refurbished Type 035G-class submarines ("Ming-class" submarines) from China in 2017. During an official visit to Russia in 2013, according to a news report by The Irrawaddy in May 2017, General Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar's army chief, expressed interest in purchasing at least "two Kilo-class submarines" from Russia.

Strategically, submarines play critical roles in enhancing war capabilities -- such as firing torpedoes, launching missiles, laying anti-ship mines, and detecting other ships and submarines -- and conducting surveillance, reconnaissance, and intelligence missions.

Submarine warfare, according to Sam Bateman, a former Naval Officer and Professorial Research Fellow at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (Ancors) at the University of Wollongong in Australia, is "a classic force multiplier requiring a disproportionate response from an adversary".

The case of the Falklands War between the United Kingdom and Argentina in 1982 offers an excellent evidence of a disproportionate response of the British military resulting from Argentine's submarine warfare. As Sir Lawrence Freedman, Professor of War Studies at King's College London, wrote in his book Signals of War: The Falklands Conflict of 1982, "Although the Argentine submarine threat was limited, it caused enormous bother to the British task force."

While Thailand is on alert for the "new situation", the modernisation of its military in recent years, especially its navy, poses the exact same security concerns to Myanmar. The Thai navy is also scheduled to acquire its first Yuan-class S26T diesel-electrict submarine from China in 2023.

Indeed, the Thai navy has tried in vain to buy submarines for years. In 2011, it proposed to buy a fleet of six German-made second-hand submarines. The proposal, however, was rejected by then-prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra due to questionable cost-effectiveness and lack of transparency.

The submarine procurement proposal, however, was reinvigorated after Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha swept to power through a military coup in May 2014. The Thai junta cabinet approved in principle the purchase of three Yuan-class submarines from China at a price of 36 billion baht. All three Yuan-class submarines, according to the Thai navy, will be deployed in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.

Generally, the modernisation of a country's military generates a security dilemma for other countries in the region, particularly those with whom the country shares an immediate border. In January 2017, Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, then-Thai defence minister, supported the navy's submarine procurement plan saying: "The Thai navy requires submarines to maintain a military balance in the region because other neighbouring countries already have them. It will help protect our sovereignty, as well as our abundant marine resources, notably in the Andaman Sea."

About four months later, during a press conference on May 3, 2017, Maj Gen Myint New, Deputy Defence Minister of Myanmar, pointed out: "Our neighbours have submarines and we want them as well, but it will depend on the state budget. The military leadership is considering it."

Even though there are no clear links between Myanmar and Thailand's submarine procurement plans, the timeline of their naval modernisation plans suggest that security perceptions do matter after all.

More importantly, submarines offer greater capabilities to conduct military operations, including surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence far away from their own territorial seas into exclusive economic zones (EEZ) and the high seas. The growing frequency of naval operations within a confined body of water, however, will only elevate the chance of naval incidents.

As Sam Bateman wrote in Perils of the Deep: The Dangers of Submarine Proliferation in the Seas of East Asia, "Submarine warfare and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) would be major features of any future regional conflict at sea."

Since the Myanmar and Thai militaries don't seem to trust each other, any small naval incident could lead to a major armed clash, or even a full-scale war due to misperceptions, misinterpretations and miscalculations.

Unsettled maritime disputes, previous experiences with naval confrontations and military clashes, and trends of naval modernisation have created a strategic "mistrust" between the two militaries. This "new situation" seems to be a warning sign that fresh military tensions between Thailand and Myanmar over the unsettled maritime boundary in the Andaman Sea are likely in the years to come.
A model of the Yuan Class S26T submarine that Thailand has already signed a deal to buy from China, is displayed at the Royal Thai Navy's auditorium in August 2017. Apichart Jinakul
A model of the Yuan Class S26T submarine that Thailand has already signed a deal to buy from China, is displayed at the Royal Thai Navy's auditorium in August 2017. Apichart Jinakul
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Sek Sophal is a researcher at the Democracy Promotion Centre, the Ritsumeikan Centre for Asia Pacific Studies in Beppu, Japan. He is also a contributor to The Bangkok Post.
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Re: Navy presses for 2nd Chinese sub

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THAILAND IS SENDING SUBMARINE CREW TO TRAIN IN CHINA
The Royal Thai Navy on Thursday said the first group of Thai submariners would receive their training in China, where Thailand’s first submarine fleet in nearly 70 years are being built.

Navy spokesman Prachachat Sirisawat said the navy will select a group of sailors to take training courses in China within this year. Their training would be completed just in time when the first of the three submarines is expected to be delivered to Thailand in 2023.

“Candidates must be able to communicate in English and Chinese, as well as physically and metally fit to work within the confined body of submarines,” Vice Adm. Prachachat said in an interview.

Read: Admiral Behind Submarine Deal Defends Need for ‘Dream Weapon’

He would not say how many submariners would be trained, but said the training program would take two years to complete for each batch of crews.

The spokesman also confirmed the 22-billion baht deal to buy three brand-new submarines from China is sailing forward as planned. The acquisition was inked in 2017, or 65 years after Thai navy last had submarines under its command.

Three S26T submarines in total were commissioned at the price of two subs, according to the navy.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2020 ... -in-china/
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Re: Navy presses for 2nd Chinese sub

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Good too see the junta has its priorities in order ...

NAVY PROPOSES BUYING A 6.1 BILLION BAHT SHIP AMID EPIDEMIC
The Defense Ministry on Tuesday asked the Cabinet to approve its proposal to buy a 6.1 billion baht landing ship from China, as criticism rises over the government’s underfunded responses to the coronavirus pandemic.

The proposal was made during the Tuesday cabinet meeting – which took place via video conferencing in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 – deputy defense minister Gen. Chaichan Changmongkol said the purchase of a multipurpose landing platform/dock ship (LPD) is necessary.

The navy first introduced the plan to buy the ship in September when the force announced it’s buying a landing ship from the People’s Republic at the price tag of 6.1 billion baht.

In recent weeks, the government already came under criticism that medical equipment in hospitals to combat the coronavirus infection is far from fully equipped.

But navy chief Admiral Luechai Ruddit said the proposed purchase is part of an existing plan to improve the navy’s defense capability.

“The military is not seizing an opportunity to buy a new ship,” the admiral said. “We are following the structural plan for the Navy.”

Luechai added that the landing ship will “not just be for warfare” but also for humanitarian aid. The navy had already performed drills with the Chinese landing ship and discovered it was compatible with the Thai Navy, he said.

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics ... -epidemic/
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Re: Navy presses for 2nd Chinese sub

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And ditched (for now).

Thai social media went ape shit!

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics ... -epidemic/
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