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The state-run China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation officially introduced its S-26T submarine to the defense ministry of Thailand on Jan. 12 to strengthen the military-to-military relationship between Beijing and Bangkok, according to Duowei News, an outlet operated by overseas Chinese.

After the decommissioning of the Royal Thai Navy's four Matchanu-class submarines, the nation has not operated submarines for more than 60 years. Now, however, some officials in the country's military government believe submarines are needed to defend the nation's freedom of navigation in the Gulf of Thailand. To rebuild its submarine fleet, the government decided to buy two or three submarines in Fiscal year 2016. China is the third nation to demonstrate interest in selling submarines to Thailand, after France and South Korea.

By selling submarines to Thailand, China aims to gain a potential political and defense partner in South China Sea disputes with its neighbors at a time when Vietnam is also purchasing Kilo-class submarines from Russia.

Over the past 20 years, Thailand had signed contracts with Germany and South Korea to buy new submarines and considered buying S-20 submarines from China. These plans all fell through however due to repeated economic and political crises. As tensions escalate between rival claimants in the disputed South China Sea, Thailand has begun to feel that submarines are once again important to defend its national security, even though the country itself does not make territorial claims in the sea.

While the S-20 is the export version of the Type 039A Yuan-class diesel-electric submarine, the full details of the S-26T remain mysterious but its main competitor for the Royal Thai Navy's contract will be South Korea's Chang Bogo-class submarine.

Pakistan is planning to purchase six conventional submarines from China as a way to counter the influence of expanding Indian maritime power, the Military-Industrial Courier, a Russian-language website focused on global defense issues reported on April 3.

Rana Tanveer Hussain, Pakistan's minister of defense production, is currently visiting Beijing to discuss the purchase of submarines from China, according to information released by the Pakistani government. Reports have circulated that Islamabad will sign a contract with Beijing before the end of the year to introduce six Type 041 Yuan-class diesel-electric submarines, to be constructed at either the Wuhan or Jiangnan shipyard.

However, some experts say that the submarines will be S20s, the export version of the Type 041. The only difference between the Type 041 and the S20 is that the latter does not have the former's air-independent propulsion system. If Pakistan chooses to order the air-independent propulsion system separately from China, it can still be easily integrated into the submarine due to the modular design of the S20.

Though China has not specified the types of weapon systems with which the S20 can be equipped, the Global Times published under the auspices of the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily stated that a variety of sensors and weapons can also be easily incorporated on request. The Chinese delegation also discussed with Hussain the establishment of a shipyard in Pakistan to be run jointly by the two nations. Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works may be chosen by Beijing to design submarines due to its previous experience in reproducing Chinese vessels.

The details of China's Type 039B submarine, which is reportedly to be sold to Pakistan this year, have been revealed by the Canada-based Kanwa Information Center, reports Huanqiu, the website of China's nationalistic tabloid Global Times.

The Pakistani Navy has reportedly required that China install air-independent propulsion systems on the submarines it has chosen for the transfer of these related technologies in order to assemble the submarines in Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan.

China has called for tenders for its type S20P submarine, which is another version of the type 0369B submarine that the country builds to export. Pakistan hopes to obtain six type S20P submarines to obtain stronger underwater combat capabilities along with its three existing Agosta-class 90B submarines. Currently, China's PLA Navy has nine type 0369B submarines in service.

The type 0369B submarine is reportedly 66m long and 8.2m high, can dive as deep as 300 meters and has 1,850 tons of displacement above water and 2,200 tons underwater. Its maximum speed reaches 18 knots and it can propel up to 8,000 nautical miles at 16 knots. The double-hull submarine is highly automated and only requires 38 crew members.

The submarine is also equipped with an advanced seven-blade curved propeller and an X-shaped rudder. It carries Yingji 83 anti-ship missiles that have an attack range of 180 kilometers. The sonar and radar installed on the submarine are also state-of-the-art but their details have not been revealed.

Kanwa's report said the Pakistani Navy may ask China to integrate its cruise missile Babur, which can be launched underwater and has an attack range of 500 kilometers. The report also said the 039B submarines have been produced in Shanghai and Wuhan. The first of them is likely to be shipped to Pakistan while the remaining of them are to be assembled in the country.