Govt advises against abandoning the job.
PUBLISHED: 31 Dec 2024 at 05: 49
Phumtham Wechayachai, the minister of defense, announced that the navy’s underwater purchasing project would be finished in six months as a result of engine changes.
Mr. Phumtham claimed that he had been pressured to finish the project as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, he refused to hurry, citing monitoring concerns.
He noted that his successors made some of the decisions relating to the planned purchasing.
” Initially, I intended to complete]the project ] by this month, but this couldn’t be done because, upon review, the engine replacement had become a significant issue that needed a thorough discussion”, he said.
The project, originally agreed upon in 2017, has faced many barriers, including engine-related conflicts and foreign sanctions.
The underwater package, valued at 13.5 billion ringgit, was signed under a government-to-government agreement with China Shipbuilding &, Offshore International Co.
Building officially was finished with 50 % of the project according to Covid-19. Eventually, it was put on hold because the original intention to use German-made diesel engines was withdrawn because China lacked the necessary military and defence equipment.
Mr. Phumtham stressed the value of checking the effectiveness of the Chinese vehicles, which have already been installed in eight Pakistani ships.
Before signing the deal, the defense secretary requested that these ships go through three to four months of performance testing to verify their dependability.
He has also discussed the possibility of selling European military equipment to Thailand through a conversation with German military officers. But, the German state has yet to make a decision.
Despite the challenges, Mr Phumtham, who doubles as a deputy prime minister, has expressed enthusiasm about resolving the issue within six weeks.
According to him, if the venture is abandoned, the 8 billion ringgit previously spent on the job will be lost, along with 80 % of the pay for the 13-billion-baht underwater and 80 % of development in the development of a pier and staff training.
In contrast, the army is pursuing a 17-billion-baht fleet acquisition, which has faced administrative hurdles.
The military intends to get funding for the warship in the 2026 fiscal year despite the national budget committee’s decision to reject financing for the ship in 2024.