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But whereas Russia’s motivation is purely commercial, China’s rationale is geopolitical: maintaining influence over Myanmar’s generals. Russia is eager to sell submarines to Myanmar to make up for falling defence sales in other Southeast Asian countries (particularly its biggest regional customer, Vietnam) and to usurp China as the junta’s number one arms supplier.Ĭhina appears to be pushing back.

Vietnam already operates six of these potent warships, providing it with a formidable deterrent against China in the South China Sea. Soon afterwards, Naypyidaw initiated negotiations with Russia to purchase one or more Varshavyanka-class submarines, sometimes referred to as the advanced Kilo-class. Hopefully, Moscow thought, this would lead it to buy new vessels from Russia. For Russia, the ex-Indian submarine provided the Myanmar Navy with a useful training platform to familiarise itself with Russian technology. Myanmar bought the vessel from India using credit intended to strengthen defence ties with Naypyidaw in an effort to counter China’s influence. The sale was in both India’s and Russia’s interests. India does not build submarines for export.

The submarine had served in the Indian Navy for 32 years but was refurbished prior to being sold to Myanmar. In October 2020, Moscow allowed India to transfer a Soviet-built Kilo-class submarine to the Myanmar Navy. Russia appeared to have the inside track. That pretty much leaves China and Russia, already the first and second largest supplier of arms to Myanmar. For the same reason, Japan and South Korea would be unlikely to offer their submarines to Myanmar either. Due to its atrocious human rights record, the European Union has imposed an arms embargo against Myanmar, thus ruling out boats from Germany, France and Sweden. Since the early 2000s, Myanmar has sought to acquire a fleet of submarines, mostly, it seems, to keep up with its Southeast Asian neighbours Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.īut Myanmar’s buying options are limited. Nine days later, that competitive dynamic was on display as Beijing stole a march on Moscow when it transferred a Chinese-manufactured submarine to the Myanmar Navy, UMS Minye Kyaw Htin. The Virginia class, currently in production, was meant to combine an affordable platform with a submarine that could operate closer to shore and support the land conflicts of the 9/11 era.In a videolink on 15 December 2021, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged support for each other amid rising tensions with America over Taiwan and the Ukraine.īut even the closest of bilateral relationships contain elements of competition (think America’s Boeing versus Europe’s Airbus). The Navy’s current attack submarine fleet consists of a mix of older Los Angeles-class submarines, Seawolf-class submarines (shown above), and the latest class of Virginia-class subs.

The sub, which begins procurement in 10 years, will refocus the U.S.’s undersea fleet away from supporting land wars to fighting enemy fleets both above and below the waves. Navy’s Next-Generation Attack Submarine, or SSN(X).

The Navy is also working on the new Co lumbia-class missile submarine.Ī Congressional Research Service report reveals new details about the U.S.SSN(X), or Next-Generation Attack Submarine, will focus on the traditional submarine mission of sinking ships.The Navy wants to start purchasing a new class of attack submarine, SSN(X), starting in 2031.