State-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) announced this week that it had started building a Type S26T submarine, a modified export variant of the indigenous Type 041 diesel-electric version, for the Royal Thai Navy.
In July 2015, Thailand selected China’s Yuan-class (Type 041) platform to meet a requirement for three submarines, after its procurement committee voted unanimously in favor of the offerings from China.
A funding plan for 13 billion baht (US$400 million) for the first China-built sub was approved.
In May 2017, Bangkok and Beijing struck a deal for one S26T variant of the submarine in a $390 million purchase agreement that also included, among other things, an option to buy two extra such subs.
The Bangkok Post reported back then that the S26T had a submerged displacement of 2,600 tons and was equipped with an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system.
A submarine base will need to be set up at Thailand’s Sattahip Navy Base, near the U-Tapao airbase, to accommodate the new vessels. The submarine may alternatively be berthed at a Thai naval facility at the southern province of Phang Nga facing the Andaman Sea.
Other big-ticket purchases from Thailand include a deal to buy 28 VT-4 tanks from China North Industries Group Corp (Norinco), with the option to secure many more in the future.
The Pakistan Navy has also signed a deal for eight similar subs, four to be built at the CSIC’s Wuhan Shipyard and the rest assembled in Pakistan with a technology transfer from China.
An earlier report by the People’s Daily said China could share some of its submarine technologies, particularly in propulsion and armament, with de facto allies such as Pakistan.
The Type 041 series, the prototype of the two export versions for Thailand and Pakistan, is China’s first AIP-powered submarine and presumed to be one of the quietest diesel-electric classes in service thanks to its anechoic tiles and asymmetrical seven-blade skewed propeller.
CSIC also started building four littoral mission ships for the Royal Malaysian Navy in July. The 68.2-meter, 680-ton vessels will be used for maritime patrols, coastal security and search and rescue operations.
China has exported 13 different types of surface warships to seven countries, including Egypt, Thailand, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Norinco said on its WeChat account.
Analysts say that with Pakistan and Thailand in place, China is making headway in its submarine export program. While competitive pricing is an obvious draw, Thailand had the option of pursuing Western or Western-influenced designs, for example, from South Korea.
Sufficient performance at a comparatively low price would give CSIC a key commercial advantage against the more expensive Western submarine models. If the company has indeed achieved that market position, it could see considerable long-term growth in overseas sales, especially in South and Southeast Asia.
Read more: Southeast Asian nations on a spree buying Chinese weapons
Flora de la Sinensis The only wind is because of that dog you ate.
In the 80’s they were saying Japan would overtake the US, in the 70’s it was the Soviet Union.
Yashad Rizvi
Sorry, that rambling won’t change the winds of earthly changes ????….
Funny for a proud Chinaman you use French and Star Wars, all Western cultural appropriation… well I guess the Chinese have been stealing other people’s culture and technology since Buddha.
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Breakout! It’s breakout time… The Chinese have breaken out to where no other Chinese have ever boldly breaken out before — to Darth Vader’s neighbourhood…
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???? Chinese 5 cent screw humor ????
The Ayatollah Khomeini‘s MIGHTY EL CONDORS https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=el+condor&id=F2BD8BCD8AE066B42FD4D65BE2784A7E0C1F5887&FORM=IQFRBA, the McDonnell Douglas killing machine the F-15, is still kept in the sky by 5 cent screws imported from China…
Ironically, these 5 cent China made screws goes on to make and built Iranian F-5 Freedom fighters https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-mocks-irans-indigenous-fighter-jet-as-copy-of-obsolete-f-5/ and, state of the arts Darth Vader class https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/can-irans-stealth-fighter-actually-fly-27947 TIE fighters.
Ironic for these 5 cent Chinese made screws isn’t it?
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USA does not have deisel subs and they always screw you one way or another and Thai navy have been using Chinese frigates for decades now
Once a country signs up for these big items, the country can become permanently dependent on China, some time even for a 5 cent screw.!
for years and China can screw them or blackmail forever for political ends or military gains! what a pity.