Navy chief of staff, Adm Luechai Ruddit, chairman of the navy's submarine procurement panel, at a news conference held Monday to "clarify" the navy's controversial purchase of the Yuan-class S26T submarine, secretly approved by the cabinet on April 18. According to the purchase plan, the government-to-government format of the procurement is an approach chosen to minimise risk while at the same time boosting confidence in the navy's submarine procurement project. (Photo provided)The 13.5-billion-baht budget set aside to fund this procurement will be paid over 17 installments spanning seven years, Adm Luechai said. He said the cost of the submarine accounts for only 0.006% of the country's maritime resources, which the navy is obliged to protect. After signing the contract with China in May, the navy will send personnel to train in China over the next three years, said V Adm Patchara.

Source: Bangkok Post May 01, 2017 21:33 UTC