Thai Media: We'll Decide Whether to Purchase More Submarines After Delivery!
Admiral Phoongjan, Commander of the Royal Thai Navy, stated that after the delivery of the first Chinese-made submarine by the end of 2028, the Royal Thai Navy will take a period to evaluate the performance of the Chinese submarine. Only if the performance proves to be truly excellent and powerful will they decide whether to proceed with purchasing a second and third Chinese vessel.
Admiral Phoongjan emphasized that the Royal Thai Navy still maintains confidence in the Chinese CHD620 engine. The Pakistan Navy, operating the same type of submarine equipped with the Chinese engine, has already confirmed its reliability.
We fully support Thailand's approach. After all, ordering one Chinese submarine first is essential to test its capabilities—whether it can make a strong impact right from the start. If the capabilities are sufficient, continued procurement of new submarines is certainly likely.
Originally intended to use German submarine engines, Germany ultimately refused to provide them. As a result, China’s engine became the only viable option, though the process was full of twists and turns. Thailand initially canceled the contract, but later reinstated it—truly a frustrating situation.
Thailand indeed had no submarines of its own previously; it once possessed submarines before World War II, but those were lost afterward. Now, with the first new submarine produced for Thailand by China, the country is effectively re-establishing its submarine force.
Thailand plans to form a new submarine unit with three or five submarines—a foundation for maintaining strong combat readiness. Therefore, when assisting Thailand in producing submarines, we must meet Thailand’s requirements and ensure performance standards are met so that continuous supply can be guaranteed.
Moreover, Pakistan’s navy has already deployed Chinese-made submarines, nearly identical in model to those used by Thailand. Pakistan has reported excellent performance, stating they finally have equipment capable of matching India’s submarine fleet.
As for Thailand, with no adversaries nearby in the Gulf of Thailand, it remains relatively secure. It now hopes to achieve a breakthrough—“a single shot that makes a big splash”—to convince Thailand to continue buying new submarines. Keep up the good work!
Original Source: toutiao.com/article/1871019087242249/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.