Navy group to inspect Chinese option for new submarine
The Royal Thai Navy will send a team of officers to observe performance assessments on the Chinese-built CHD620 submarine engines in between Feb 7 plus March 4, an origin in the RTN stated.
The particular move comes as the RTN remains unsure on whether it can accept the motor — which Cina Shipbuilding & Just offshore International Co (CSOC) is pushing the particular navy to use over the S26T Yuan-class boat it had purchased from the Wuhan-based shipyard — as a substitute for the German-made MTU396 engine, which the navy had used before.
The conditional, led by RAdm Thiti Navanukroah, mouthpiece director of the Regal Thai Naval Dockyard — under orders from his sibling, navy chief associated with staff Adm Chonlathis Navanugraha — will certainly head to Wuhan to examine the second phase of examining on the Chinese-made CHD620 engine, the source stated.
Upon Dec 15, the CSOC submitted the particular engine’s specifications plus performance parameters to the RTN, but the presentation appeared to have failed to convince the navy to take the provide.
The particular RTN previously declared that as the first phase of tests has been carried out on an engine prototype, there was insufficient data for it to decide. It stressed the particular Chinese-made CHD620 motor must meet the Chinese language navy’s standards.
“This journey, which will take almost a month, will notify their decision, in spite of pressure from every direction, ” the original source said.
On one hand, the navy is concerned the furore about the engine swap may have a negative impact on Thailand’s relationship along with China.
A number of opposition MPs from the Pheu Thai and Move Forward parties have pointed out the RTN’s stance on the alternative shifted right after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the nation for the Asia-Pacific Financial Cooperation (Apec) Summit in Bangkok among Nov 18 plus 19.
They wondered when Mr Xi’s visit, which included a meeting with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at Govt House, had connected with the shift due to the fact former navy chief Adm Somprasong Nilsamai had insisted on using the German-made MTU396 engine, the source mentioned.
Problems about the quality from the Chinese-made engine had been also a factor which usually adds pressure within the RTN, especially since the CHD620 engine has come under criticism for the inferior quality.
To make matters worse, Gen Prayut had once mentioned at a Defence Committee meeting that the CHD620 is in fact a boat electric generator and it is not meant to serve as a main engine.
Nonetheless, the particular RTN has yet to set a deadline for a decision.
These elements might be the reason why navy chief Adm Choengchai Chomchoengpaet has chose to postpone the purchase of a second and third submarine for that fourth year running, the source said.
Another reason could be cuts to the navy’s annual budget, which was scaled down for three years due to the outbreak.
Early last year, Pheu Thailänder MPs claimed there were irregularities in the navy’s submarine procurement programme, claiming the RTN was duped into buying vessels without engines.
Yutthapong Charasathian, deputy Pheu Thai Celebration leader and MEGA-PIXEL for Maha Sarakham, took aim in the navy’s plan to buy three submarines through China.
It has been a delicate matter politically since.
The first submarine has been covered with a sum of 13. 5 billion baht. The submersible craft is due for delivery this year.
However , the purchase of two some other submarines, valued from 22. 5 billion dollars baht, is still within limbo, according to an origin in the navy.
Mr Yutthapong claimed the first boat has no engines mainly because China cannot produce diesel engines regarding submarines and will have to buy them from Philippines.
Under the CSOC contract, the particular submarine must be run by engines supplied by Germany’s MTU, however the company refused to market the engine to China, Mr Yutthapong said.
He then received info that the CSOC can replace Germany’s engine with a Chinese-made engine for the submarine rather.
Thiti: Prospective customers navy team