Germany refuses to supply engines for Pakistan’s Chinese origin Submarines
The German government has refused to supply MTU 12V396 diesel engines from Germany’s Motor and Turbine Union company to be equipped on a modified Hangor-class submarine that is based on the Chinese-origin Type 039B submarine meant for Pakistani Navy. The Hangor-class submarine is to be equipped with an AIP-equipped but the German government has prohibited the export of the engines to China because of their use for military purposes, as Germany is bound by a European Union arms embargo imposed on China in 1989 after the Tiananmen Square massacre.
Chinese has reportedly offered reversed-engineered Chinese-made engines that are certified by Germany’s MTU. Germany for long ignored the sale of dual-use technologies that were later used by the Chinese on their weapons system but the sale of Two Yuan-Class S26T submarines to Thailand’s Military Junta caught the attention of the German media due to which the German government took a stand against their supplies and later also blocked supplies to the China to be used on Pakistani Type 039B submarine that is under construction in China.
Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa recently confirmed that the German government indeed has blocked the sale of MTU 12V396 diesel engines to China, but it is not clear if Pakistan has agreed to install Chinese engines but Thailand has refused to accept Chinese engines and the submarine deal might collapse soon, as Thai Navy is not keen on Chinese engines.
The Hangor-class submarines will be equipped with Chinese-origin Babur Submarine-launched cruise missiles that can be armed with a tactical nuclear warhead and will form the base for establishing second nuclear strike capabilities of the Pakistani Military.
Source:c4defence
