Thailand’s long-delayed plan to procure a Chinese-built S26T submarine has received formal approval from Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, clearing the way for cabinet-level deliberation. Phumtham, who temporarily oversaw the Defence Ministry prior to his new post...
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Thailand’s long-delayed plan to procure a Chinese-built S26T submarine has received formal approval from Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, clearing the way for cabinet-level deliberation.
Phumtham, who temporarily oversaw the Defence Ministry prior to his new post at the Interior Ministry, signed off on the Royal Thai Navy’s proposal on June 30. The submarine deal will now be submitted to the cabinet for final approval.
The submarine purchase agreement was first signed in 2017 between Thailand and China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co. for a Yuan-class S26T submarine, a variant based on the Russian Kilo-class design. The deal, valued at 12.4 billion baht, has faced major delays due to the unavailability of its originally intended German-made engines.
Construction of the submarine is reportedly almost complete, with the primary outstanding issue being the propulsion system. The original design called for German MTU 16V396 SE84 diesel engines paired with a Stirling air-independent propulsion (AIP) system. However, Germany declined to export the engines due to an existing European Union arms embargo on China. As a result, the Royal Thai Navy has opted to use Chinese-made CHD620 diesel engines instead.
The decision to substitute the engine type has been a subject of ongoing debate. The CHD620 has never been operated by any navy, including China's, raising concerns about its operational reliability. Nonetheless, some senior Thai naval officers have expressed support for the move as a way to unblock the stalled programme.
The S26T submarine has a surfaced displacement of approximately 2,600 tonnes and a submerged displacement of around 3,600 tonnes. It measures 77.7 metres in length with a beam of 8.4 metres and a draught of 5.5 metres. Powered by the new Chinese engines, the vessel is expected to deliver a combined output of 6,092 horsepower, enabling speeds of up to 16 knots on the surface and 23 knots submerged.
Operationally, the S26T has a range of up to 8,000 nautical miles at cruising speed and a submerged endurance of up to 20 days. It is designed to operate at depths of up to 300 metres and accommodate a crew of 38.
The submarine's combat systems include six 533mm torpedo tubes capable of deploying various torpedoes, Yingji-82 (C-802) anti-ship missiles, and up to 30 naval mines. The sensor suite includes a Type 359 radar, H/SQG-4 and H/SQC-207 sonar systems, as well as advanced electronic warfare and communication equipment.
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