Bangladesh Military Expresses Discontent Over Chinese Weapons; Reports 'Sub-Standard' and Faulty Parts

 

Bangladesh, a traditional buyer of Chinese military equipment, has raised grievances with Beijing regarding the delivery of defective components and technical malfunctions in its imported military hardware. This issue is not unique to Bangladesh, as other nations like Myanmar have also encountered problems with Chinese fighter jets, according to an ET report.

Experts in the Chinese defense industry argue that Beijing lacks the expertise to manufacture highly sophisticated military hardware and is not yet considered a top-tier producer of modern defense equipment. They claim that much of China's weapon systems are based on outdated technology copied from the West.

Developing countries often opt for Chinese weapons due to their lower cost compared to similar systems from Western countries. China sells arms through state-run export organizations like the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), NORINCO, and CVIC.

Sources familiar with the matter told ET that the Bangladesh military recently accused Chinese companies of supplying faulty spare parts for its corvettes, patrol crafts, and onshore patrol vehicles. These vessels were found to have manufacturing defects and technical issues.

In another instance, the Bangladesh Air Force reported technical problems with Chinese-made F-7 fighter jets and short-range air defense systems. The air force also faced challenges with firing ammunition for its Chinese-made K-8W aircraft shortly after delivery.

Sources indicated that Chinese-supplied airborne interception radars and radars on Bangladesh's fighter aircraft failed to meet accuracy standards.

The Bangladesh Army procured Main Battle Tanks (MBT 2000) from China's North Industries Corporation (NORINCO). However, NORINCO reportedly encountered difficulties in supplying parts to Bangladesh for the repair and maintenance of these tanks.

The Bangladesh Navy also faced issues with two Chinese-made frigates (BNS Umar Farooq and BNS Abu Ubaidah) experiencing multiple defects shortly after arrival at the Mongla port in Bangladesh. The Chinese companies demanded additional payments to repair these vessels.

A decade ago, China sold two refurbished Ming-class submarines to Bangladesh for just over $100 million each, but Dhaka later discovered that the submarines were obsolete.

In September of last year, the Bangladesh Navy informed China Vanguard Industry Co. Ltd. (CVIC) of issues with the C704 system installed on the warship 'BNS Nirmul', but the company only agreed to upgrade the system at an additional cost.

Bangladesh had also purchased 45 Multi Launch Rocket System (MLRS) units from China but is now considering replacing 36 of them with Turkish-made MLRS.