Page 16 - ADT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2023 Online Magazine

and was held for the fifth time this year. The
camaraderie come at a time when Washington
is trying to stop China from growing its influence
in the Indo-Pacific.

The relationship between the two countries is
not limited to military drills. Chinese arms exports
to Thailand spiked four-fold between 2014 and
2018 compared with the preceding five years
and is set to grow even more over the current
decade. Thailand the first export customer of
the VT-4 main battle tank, which is the export
version of the made by China North Industries
Corporation (Norinco). The Royal Thai Army (RTA)
ordered 28 VT-4s in 2016 and followed the order
up with another 10 the next year. In October this
year, RTA took de;livery of yet another batch of the export variant of the HQ-22 medium- to long-range semi-ac-
12 Chinese VT-4 MBTs. The service also uses VN-1 tive radar homing/radio command guidance air-defence system.
wheeled armored vehicles and armored rescue Although it retains the domestic version’s top speed of Mach 6, its
vehicles made by the same company. maximum range is 100 km, significantly less than the Chinese HQ-22’s
maximum range of 170 km.
Thailand is also the inaugural export customer
of the Type 071E landing platform dock (LPD) Prime Opportunity
made by China State Shipbuilding Corp, with
the Royal Thai Navy commissioning HTMS Chang Both the U.S. and China sense an opening in the region when it
in April this year. According to RTN, the LPD can comes to exporting weapons. Russia has historically been a major
deploy eight amphibious vehicles (AAVs) or 11 supplier of affordable arms for many Southeast Asian countries, but
wheeled armored vehicles (MBTs) on Vehicle according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute,
Deck 1, eight amphibious vehicles (AAVs) or 9 the country’s share of arms sales to countries in the region dripped
wheeled armored vehicles (MBTs) on Vehicle sharply from its peak of 43 percent in 2011 to 8 percent in 2021.
Deck 2, 6 Landing Craft Mechanised (LCM), or Russia’s arms exports, which suffered following international sanc-
9 Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP), or 57 tions over its 2014 annexation of Crimea, is likely to take another hit
amphibious vehicles (AAVs), or 2 air-cushioned due to the ongoing war against Ukraine. Fears of U.S. sanctions also
vehicles (LCAC) on Floating docks, and land up hangs over countries that are eyeing the import of Russian arms; in
to 600 troops. June last year, the Philippines withdrew from a helicopter deal with
Russia over concerns about sanctions.
Thailand, which paid a 7-billion-baht (US$193.7
million) instalment to China for the purchase of The Dominant Player
one of three Yuan Class S26T submarines with
German-made diesel engines, is now mulling Both China and the U.S. face competition from new arms suppliers
the purchase of a frigate instead. The change such as South Korea and Turkey. South Korea, especially, has made
in plans follow the Chinese manufacturer being a name for itself in recent years through the eye-catching growth
unable to include a German engine as specified of its defence industry; the country sold about US$2 billion worth of
in the original deal. With Germany prohibit- arms to Southeast Asian countries from 2017 to 2021. In 2022, the
ing the use of its engines for Chinese military country and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
exports, Beijing proposed replacing the engines announced a new programme, the Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative,
with Chinese-made equipment, but Thailand which encompasses initiatives for defence cooperation, including
did not agree to the offer. In 2017, the previous maritime, cyber and defence-industrial cooperation. According to
government had signed a deal to buy the first SIPRI, South Korea accounted for 33 percent of Thailand’s total arms
of the three submarines for 13.5 billion baht imports in the 2018-2022 period.
(US$373.55 million). In 2020, a parliamentary
committee approved an order for the other two In May this year, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) signed a US$920
subs for 22.5 billion baht (US$622.58 million). million contract with Malaysia to deliver 18 FA-50 jets. The first jet is
due for delivery in 2026. Thailand is another customer of the aircraft,
In January this year, the RTN unveiled its having acquired 14 of the type. The Korean company has sold the
Chinese-made FK-3 air-defence system man- jet to Indonesia, the Philippines and Iraq as well. The KF-21 fighter
ufactured by China Aerospace Science and jet, which made its maiden appearance at Seoul ADEX 2023, is likely
Industry Corporation Limited (CASIC). The FK-3, to be an attractive proposition for countries in the region that are
which was inducted into the service last year, is looking to acquire affordable fighter jets..

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