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Undersea Strike lessons from the war in Ukraine wouldn’t have
Mention should also be made of submarines, which remain popular. been missed. While it’s true some Southeast
Asian navies have embarked on their respective
Koh pointed out: “Submarines amount to a type of strategic capital unmanned systems programmes, the process is
asset for Southeast Asian navies, since they’re by comparison much uneven throughout the region. The prevailing
smaller than those of major powers … Because of the perceived emphasis appears to still be on manned plat-
asymmetric advantages bestowed by this type of platform, we aren’t forms, whereas unmanned systems are more
likely to see regional navies’ appetites for submarines fade anytime often seen as force multipliers. To envisage that
soon. The major limiter is funding, more than anything else.”
Southeast Asian navies have plans to totally
supplant existing fleets with unmanned systems
Myanmar was the latest Southeast Asian navy to introduce subma- would be too much a long stretch to assume.”
rines, receiving a second-hand Chinese-built Type 035B in 2021, and
a Kilo-class submarine from India the previous year. The Philippines Instead, the region is more likely to see “incre-
has an extant requirement for two submarines, while Indonesia and mental, albeit slow for most countries, efforts in
Malaysia would like to gain more if money permits.
inducting unmanned systems to augment exist-
ing manned platforms”.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s purchase of S26T submarines is bedevilled
by budget constraints and now an engine dispute, since Germany
refuses to supply engines to the Chinese manufacturer. Koh thinks Make at Home
Bangkok will “be lucky if it gets the first boat within the next couple of Most regional countries are prioritising indige-
years, though I’m not optimistic since the engine tussle may poten- nous shipbuilding, but it is easy for countries to
tially drag out”. bite off more than they can chew. A prime exam-
ple is Malaysia, where Boustead Naval Shipyard
COVID-19 caused Southeast Asian governments to tighten belts, is at least five years behind schedule in deliver-
and this impacted most navy budgets. Nonetheless, Koh of the RSIS ing six Gowind-class corvettes. One vessel has
has observed regional “continuity in terms of threat perceptions, already been cancelled, and promises that the
funding constraints (which became more acute a problem following first will be delivered in late 2024 look unrealistic.
COVID-19 and the Ukraine war) and technical capacity to absorb
those assets”. Koh highlighted issues relating to indigenous
shipbuilding. “The first is funding, of course.
There are no revolutionary changes in regional naval procurement The second is technology transfers – this is not
always a happy relationship between the client
patterns, with surface combatants up to frigate size, LPD-type ves- and vendor, and often tech transfer processes
sels, submarines and inshore and coast patrol craft all being highly and capacity building in this regard take a
prized. However, Koh can discern “qualitative evolutions in these long time to materialise.” One case in point is
types of capabilities being acquired or sought after. One obvious Indonesia’s submarine-building capacity under
trend is that these platforms are larger and more multifunctional a transfer of technology scheme with South
than their predecessors.” Korea’s DSME.

Areas of Interest Koh continued: “And there’s a third issue with
The Singaporean academic highlighted two areas to watch in economies of scale; it might be more econom-
Southeast Asia in the future. The first is shore-based coastal defence ical to purchase off the shelf instead of building
missile systems. “Given the success of Ukraine in the sinking of the the platform locally, if there’s limited funding
Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet flagship RFS Moskva, such mobile and plans for just a small force. Finally, it’s not
weapon systems may be considered a cheaper ship-killer alter- just about shipbuilding industry, but the entire
naval industrial ecosystem. Naval shipbuilding
native to mobile, seagoing assets.” Some are already getting in necessarily also means the need for systems
on the act. The Philippines is acquiring BrahMos anti-ship missiles integration for warships, which is a complex and
from India, while Vietnam already possesses Bastion K-300P mis- costly undertaking. Not many Southeast Asian
siles. Koh believes there is potential for greater regional interest in naval shipbuilders have such capacities, and
similar capabilities. often they’ll need to work with more established
foreign partners.”
The second area of interest is mine warfare. Quite apart from being
usually a neglected aspect of naval capability, existing assets in Vietnam is one country that is pursuing naval
most Southeast Asian navies are facing obsolescence. There is thus a modernisation with the threat of China and the
need for mine-hunting fleets to recapitalise, as Indonesia is doing as South China Sea uppermost in mind. However,
it awaits two 62m-long mine countermeasure vessels from Abeking Koh’s opinion was that “most regional navies
& Rasmussen later this year. tend to respond to more structural consider-
ations, not China’s threat per se, but the broader
Unmanned systems deserve comment too. Koh noted: “Southeast geopolitical uncertainties in which Beijing plays
Asian navies…pay attention to the evolving naval landscape, and a part”.
ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY APRIL-MAY 2023 | 19