PUBLISHED : 23 Jan 2024 at 11:03
Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang said on Tuesday he will set up a panel to review the navy’s purchase of Chinese submarines, and denied he had agreed to the use of a Chinese engine instead of the originally specified German diesel motor.
Mr Sutin, of the coalition-core Pheu Thai Party, said he would form the committee on Wednesday. It would be chaired by his adviser, Gen Somsak Roongsita, a former secretary-general of the National Security Council.
The panel would also include the navy commander-in-chief, the assistant navy chief, naval academics and representatives of the Finance Ministry, the Office of the Attorney-General and the parliamentary opposition.
In about 30 days the committee would deliver its recommendation on the future of the Chinese submarine purchase, Mr Sutin said.
The announcement followed speculation that the Defence Ministry would finally allow the navy to buy the partially built Chinese Yuan-class S26T submarine at a cost of 13.5 billion baht, and that it would be driven by a Chinese CHD620 engine, not the original German engine specified, as the navy had proposed.
The navy pushed for this option after Germany refused to supply the engine to a submarine being built in China.
Shortly after taking up the defence portfolio, Mr Sutin said he favoured shelving the project and instead buying the navy another frigate.