Thai Army clarifies on Ukraine tank purchase after MP raises questions in censure debate

[webfact]

Army clarifies on Ukraine tank purchase after MP raises questions in censure debate

By THE NATION

 

 

Army spokesman Colonel Winthai Suwaree said on Thursday (February 27) that the Army’s procurement of OPLOT tanks from Ukraine is a government-to-government (G2G) project under which government agencies of both parties have entered into the contract and are responsible as joint operators.

 

He was replying to a query from Uttaradit MP Saranwut Saranket of Pheu Thai Party, who, during the censure debate this week, questioned discrepancies in the tank’s procurement document in the Royal Thai Army’s documentation system.

 

“The contract’s MoU [memorandum of understanding] was made and signed by government agencies of both countries,” said Winthai. “On Thailand’s side, apart from Royal Thai Army we also have Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Attorney-General sign the MoU as witnesses.”

 

Winthai further explained that as per the MoU, the tanks are brand new products and must be paid for directly to the Ukrainian government. “We did not pay for them via brokers or middlemen which might have caused the discrepancy in the contract as claimed by the opposition MP,” he said.

 

Responding to a video clip that Saranwut showed of a tank emitting black smoke when revving up the engine, hinting that the engine had been used for some time and was not brand new. “The tank in the video is not the same as the ones that the Army has purchased,” he clarified.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30382998

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-02-28

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[unamazedloso]

All above board then????????

[Tounge Thaied]

Hmm... interesting how Ukraine has tanks for sale. They need all the military hardware they can get with their ongoing conflict in the Eastern Ukraine that borders with Russia. That 5 year conflict is not coming to an end any time soon. In fact, the United States has been providing weapons and material support to Ukraine because of the military hardware shortage. What possible tanks are being provided?

Edited February 28, 2020 by Tounge Thaied

[KhunKenAP]

Perhaps these are the tanks that were blown up. WHY does Thailand need more tanks. Last time they had more than enough to overthrow the elected government??????????????????????

[FarFlungFalang]

14 minutes ago, Tounge Thaied said:

Hmm... interesting how Ukraine has tanks for sale. They need all the military hardware they can get with their ongoing conflict in the Eastern Ukraine that borders with Russia. That 5 year conflict is not coming to an end any time soon. In fact, the United States has been providing weapons and material support to Ukraine because of the military hardware shortage. What possible tanks are being provided?

They are sometimes used to kill Aussie journalists here in Thailand.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Davis_(cameraman)

Edited February 28, 2020 by FarFlungFalang

[cornishcarlos]

These are the tanks they purchased.. Hence no black smoke !!

 

 

[Grumpy John]

Confused, I thought I read something about the contrac t being cancelled as the Ukrainians had failed to deliver the required number of tanks.  Somewhere along The line there must have been a   ↪

[Enoon]

1 hour ago, Tounge Thaied said:

Hmm... interesting how Ukraine has tanks for sale. They need all the military hardware they can get with their ongoing conflict in the Eastern Ukraine that borders with Russia. That 5 year conflict is not coming to an end any time soon. In fact, the United States has been providing weapons and material support to Ukraine because of the military hardware shortage. What possible tanks are being provided?

 

They get from the US what they cannot produce themselves. 

 

They produce a lot of tanks and possibly they don't "need" the T-84 tanks that Thailand ordered from them (Jan2019):

 

"while the Ukrainian Army has deployed older T-64 tanks in their hundreds to the country’s eastern regions to combat Russian backed separatists, the T-84 has yet to be deployed. Concerns regarding the battle tank’s reliability, despite the design entering its 20th year, are widely speculated to be the cause."

 

https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ukraine-s-semi-indigenous-battle-tanks-aren-t-performing-well-shortcomings-of-the-t-84-oplot-and-implications-for-the-country-s-future-as-a-tank-producer

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 28, 2020 by Enoon

[justin case]

thailand needs tanks, you know, to fight corona and some more submarines too

[ChrisY1]

"also have Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Attorney-General sign the MoU as witnesses.”" (Well...they are also in for their share)

[ChrisY1]

6 hours ago, Enoon said:

 

They get from the US what they cannot produce themselves. 

 

They produce a lot of tanks and possibly they don't "need" the T-84 tanks that Thailand ordered from them (Jan2019):

 

"while the Ukrainian Army has deployed older T-64 tanks in their hundreds to the country’s eastern regions to combat Russian backed separatists, the T-84 has yet to be deployed. Concerns regarding the battle tank’s reliability, despite the design entering its 20th year, are widely speculated to be the cause."

 

https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ukraine-s-semi-indigenous-battle-tanks-aren-t-performing-well-shortcomings-of-the-t-84-oplot-and-implications-for-the-country-s-future-as-a-tank-producer

 

 

 

 

 

These tanks will be fine for Thailand....being non performing units for battle fields won't bother the RTA....they'll only be used on Childrens Day, and for trundling down Sukhumvit for a coup.

Edited February 28, 2020 by ChrisY1

[Yadon Toploy]

From the people that purchased novelty golf ball finders for millions and were convinced they could detect explosives.

 

????????????