May 29, 2023

Thailand: State of Submarine Forces in ASEAN 2023 – 1

The first ASEAN country submarine force in my series concerns Thailand. 

1 submarine on order



S26T model Image: courtesy Asianmilitayreview.com
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Matchanu-class S26T variant of the Type 039A Yuan.

1 on order, 2 tentative

Displacement 2,550 tonnes

Selected 2015, First boat ordered 2017 

May be delivered: 2025

Price - US$380 million
 

The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) is scheduled to receive its first submarine in 2023, but what is not common knowledge is that the Royal Thai Navy is actually the oldest submarine service in ASEAN, as its predecessor, the Royal Siam Navy, operated submarines from 1938 to 1951.

 

In 1935 Thailand acquired four 350 tonnes coastal submarines from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which were delivered by 1938. This first/original Matchanu-class served through WW2, but as Japan was disarmed post-war, they became unserviceable. They were scrapped following a failed coup attempt by Thai naval officers in the 1951 Manhattan Rebellion.
 

This explains the deep seated desire of the RTN to operate submarines. 
 

In 2015, the RTN held a tender process and selected the S26T (an export variant of the Type 039A Yuan), as China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Company (CSOC) offered a very low total price of US$1 billion for all 3. The RTN secured a $390 million procurement contract with CSOC in 2017 for the first boat, but the follow up order for the next two boats has been delayed due to public discontent over the cost during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 

Various reports have stated that the Thai Navy requires submarines for operations in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, as well as to ‘keep up with the neighbors’, with Malaysia’s 13 year old Scorpenes specifically cited.
 

With a maximum depth of 85 metres, the Gulf of Thailand is relatively shallow for modern submarine operations. While the Andaman Sea is dominated by Indian military bases in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where up 32 Indian Navy ships are based. Also infrastructure upgrades have been completed to accommodate Indian jet fighter and P8I Poseidon patrol aircraft detachments.
 

In February 2022 it emerged that CSOC specified German-made MTU 396 submarine diesel engines in the Thai contract, which have been subject to an EU arms embargo on China since 1989. While CSOC has offered Chinese-built CHD620 engines as replacements (or a pair of decommissioned PLAN boats), the RTN is considering its options, including canceling the deal.
 

The engine issue has been reported as settled by April 2023, with ‘Chinese authorities guaranteeing the safety of the engines’ and the Thai Navy estimating the first S26T might be delivered by 2025. Pakistan’s Hangor-class S26T deal is also mentioned - that deal might also be delayed due Chinese CHD620 diesels replacing the previously expected MTU 396s 

According to Asiamilitaryreview.com, quoting CSOC specifications, the S26T has a displacement of 2,550 tonnes (this may be surfaced displacement as the submerged figure for a Chinese Navy Type 039A is 3,600 tonnes). A S26T also has a nominal crew of 38, with accommodations for 46 bunks, and a separate commander’s quarters. Claimed maximum endurance is 65 days at sea with transit distances of up to 8,000nm (14,800km). These specifications mean that an S26T could easily transit from the RTN’s main naval base at Sattahip to patrol areas in the South China Sea or Bay of Bengal with a small Royal Thai Navy SEALs contingent.


Shawn Chung
May 26, 2023

5 comments:

Pete said...

Thanks Shawn

A very interesting article.

I have a problem though with the estimate of 2023 as the delivery year for the first S26T to Thailand.

It seems there is no way the first S26T will be delivered to Thailand in 2023 because of cascading delays involved in fitting CHD620s in place of the MTUs.

I note the link embedded in your “reported as settled by April 2023” In that Bangkok Post link the Thai Navy commander Admiral Choengchai is “asked about the length of time it will take to finish the submarine if the navy opts to use the CHD620, he said it may take about

three years and four months.”

Supporting that delay the end of the Bangkok Post article says “Responding to a question about a training programme for Thai sailors after obtaining the first submarine in

2025...”

So isn’t 2025 or even later a better estimate than 2023 for the first S26T delivery?

Regards Pete

Shawn C said...

Yes, 2023 was the date given in the earlier-2022 articles I read.

2025 was included in the latest articles, from May 2023, but I missed that during proofing.

As I mentioned to you, this was a long article I wrote up in January, then 'finished' in May, so while I did multiple checks, something got by me.

As a professional editor, I always hate proofing my own writing, as you are 'too used' to the text, and will miss small errors. It's actually a common issue with fact checking/proofing that many publishers don't understand "editors are writers what"...

Gessler said...

It's interesting that Thailand is officially a US ally but is purchasing submarines from China instead of Western sources. I regret that I don’t follow the US-Thai diplomatic relations so my understanding of the events is very superficial on this matter.

In (perhaps?) related news, the US has turned down a request from the Royal Thai Air Force to purchase the F-35 fighter.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/thailand-air-force-says-us-has-denied-request-buy-f-35-jets-2023-05-25/

Pete said...

Thanks Shawn at 5/31/2023 9:49 PM

I have altered the Thai sub article accordingly with possible S26T delivery by 2025.

You have brought together comments and linked evidence in the 7 - 8 ASEAN articles in a project I haven’t been up to attempting. So thanks for doing the very difficult.

I suffer the same obstacle of editing my own articles leading to my errors as “bad” as typos in the headings themselves.

Regards Pete

Pete said...

Hi Gessler at 6/01/2023 2:08 AM

The US’s pragmatic attitude to less aligned countries, such as Thailand, is even more marked in US-India relations.

India has been buying sensitive weapon systems from the West (including the US) at the same time from Russia/USSR for decades. For India Kilo subs from Russia and Type 209s and Scorpenes from the West.

The Thais have a long history buying from China – see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_equipment_of_the_Royal_Thai_Navy
including the 22,000 ton amphibious transport HTMS Chang III
as well as 2 Chinese made Naresuan class frigates and 4 Chao Phraya class frigates.

US pragmatism is limited by stealth security, though.

It isn’t offering F-35s to Thailand (as you point to in
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/thailand-air-force-says-us-has-denied-request-buy-f-35-jets-2023-05-25/ )

and no F-35s for India – so far anyway https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-17/us-tries-to-woo-india-away-from-russia-with-display-of-f-35s/101992868

Cheers Pete