With the newly constructed Invincible-class submarines made in Germany, Singapore started its subsequent phase of submarine construction earlier this month. At the launch, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stated that given the island nation's status as a marine one, the navy had a vital responsibility to ensure its existence and maintain its sea lines of communication.
Amid shifting geopolitical landscapes, Southeast Asian countries increasingly see the development of submarines as essential to their security. However, while some analysts have deemed the move "logical and necessary," others have questioned the utility of the vessels given their astronomical costs and the challenges associated with maneuvering through regional waters.
In the area, submarines are now owned by Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Myanmar, while Thailand and the Philippines are in the process of doing so.
The geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China, according to Aristyo Darmawan, a lecturer in international law at the University of Indonesia, is what is driving the increasing acquisition of submarines by Southeast Asian nations.
According to the non-profit Nuclear Threat Initiative, the US possesses around 66 submarines, including more than 50 nuclear-powered assault submarines. A US Defense assessment published last year said that China is claimed to have 46 diesel-powered assault submarines, six nuclear-powered attack submarines, and six ballistic missile submarines.
At least three of the numerous islands Beijing constructed in the disputed waterway have been completely militarized over the past few years. Due to the region's location on strategically important maritime routes with high traffic, Darmawan said it was "logical and necessary" for Southeast Asian nations to attempt to acquire submarines.
Darmawan added that it made sense for nations to be abreast of defense advancements in the area, such as the presence of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV), which are frequently seen in territorial seas and are primarily owned by China and the US.
Indonesia and France signed a contract in February to work together on the construction of two Scorpène submarines. The underwater craft is reportedly very good at evading detection, very quick, and capable of carrying out tasks like long-range strikes and anti-surface vessel warfare.
For nations like Vietnam, which is embroiled in a protracted territorial dispute with China, there are "compelling strategic reasons to operate submarines" according to Ian Storey, a senior scholar at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.
The French government is apparently offering two of its high-performance submarines in exchange for permission to explore the Southeast Asian country's "sovereign waters" while the Philippine Navy has been searching since last year for its first-ever submarine.
