ISTANBUL

Thailand's Cabinet on Tuesday approved replacing the engine of their Chinese-built submarine project with a Chinese CHD620 engine rather than a German one in order to continue construction.

Originally, a German MTU396 engine was planned to be used in the Yuan Class S26T submarine project being built by Chinese company CSOC, but the plan was derailed when the corporation was unable to purchase the German engine. 

The engine problem forced the construction to halt in 2021.

The Thai Cabinet has approved amending the government-to-government submarine contract with China to switch to the Chinese engine and extending the manufacturing period by 1,217 more days, according to the Nation Thailand.

Thailand has already paid 7.7 billion baht (about $237.8 million) for the project. Currently, 64% of the project is completed.

Separately, the Cabinet also approved a proposal to buy four Swedish Gripen JAS 39 fighter jets at an estimated cost of 19.5 billion baht (approximately $602.5 million) amid ongoing border tensions with Cambodia.

The dispute will be discussed by both sides' defense chiefs on Thursday during a General Border Committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur, according to Malaysia's state news agency Bernama.