Thai Defence & Economy Forum

[GS Zhou]

Thaicom's subsidiary conducts a new satellite project to serve business partner in broadband and mobility services for Asia Pacific

Nonthaburi, Thailand, 21 October 2016 – Thaicom Public Company Limited announced that its subsidiary, International Satellite Company Limited (ISC) has entered into a satellite procurement contract with China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), China’s leader in satellite construction and commercial launch services.

The Company has been entrusted to conduct a new satellite project for a business partner. The satellite will be operated under license and orbital slot of the partner. The partner will provide the Company with advanced service fees which will serve as the source of funding for the construction of the satellite, and this project is expected to contribute to increased revenue for the Company.

The satellite project is valued at approximately 208 million USD, or 7,280 million baht (based on
the Bank of Thailand’s average exchange rate for October 2016 of 35 baht to 1 USD). The satellite
is designed to carry 37 GHz of Ka-band capacity, equivalent to 53 Gbps. With a 15-year lifetime
and a service footprint covering China Mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia,
Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, the satellite will strengthen
broadband and mobility services in the Asia Pacific region. The satellite is expected to be completed
around the end of the year 2019.

http://sitwebsites.blob.core.windows.net/thaicom-news/20161021-thcom-news1-en.pdf

 

[Aung Zaya]

DTI installing DTI-2 on Type-85 122mm MLRS systems – Thailand
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DTI modified Type-85 APC and install its DTI-2 MLRS.

Royal Thai Army has 6 Type-YW306s with 130 mm MLRS in service but the system need to be phased out soon.

In this year of the artillery live firing demonstration, RTA unveils the modified Type-85 APC with DTI-2 launcher installed. This allow the system to fire the DTI-2 rocket with a range of 40 km and improve commonality with its 4 SR4s MLRS system.

No information on how many system will be modified.

SR4s MLRS system.

Source: T H A I A R M E D F O R C E . C O M

 

[Hindustani78]

5:01 Nov. 11, 2016
http://uatoday.tv/politics/ukraine-sells-its-oplot-tanks-to-thailand-804044.html

Oplot main battle tank
http://uatoday.tv/politics/ukraine-sells-its-oplot-tanks-to-thailand-804044.html

Oplot tanks are difficult to produce, but Ukraine's weaponry is quite competitive.

The "Ukroboronprom" defence industry concern sends a new layout of its Oplot tanks to Thailand, the venture's representative told UNIAN agency.

The corresponding contract on the distribution of 49 Ukrainian tanks was signed in 2011, with the amount of USD 250 million involved. This is the fourth layout of 5 armoured combats machines to Thailand since 2011.
The contract will be fulfilled by 2017, when the last layout of tanks is planned to be transported to Thailand.

T-84U "Oplot" is the Ukrainian main battle tank first designed and produced in 1999 in Kharkov.

 

[cirr]

Thailand orders Chinese SAM

13th December 2016 - 19:58by Sompong Nondhasa in Bangkok

The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) bought a battery of KS-1C medium-range surface-to-air missiles from the China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation (CPMIEC), with delivery expected in December.

This is the RTAF’s first medium-range SAM system, and it will defend the most important air base in southern Thailand – that ...

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/landwarfareintl/thailand-orders-chinese-sam/

 

[Saba Ali Malik]

thailand has grown its economy over little span of time....

 

[Glavcom]

 

[Hindustani78]

http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/economic/395774.html

11.01.2017

Malyshev Plant (Kharkiv) continues implementing a contract to supply Oplot combat tanks to Thailand in line with the approved schedule. The plant is preparing for the transfer of a new batch of the tanks, the press service of the plant told Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.

"Today we have not received any official information from the Thai customer that the contract is terminated or the conditions of the contract are revised. The contract is being implemented in line with the approved schedule. Soon the customer would accept the new batch of tanks. It is planned to complete the contract in full amount this year," the press service said, commenting on foreign media reports that Thailand decided not to buy Ukrainian Oplot tanks in favor of China's VT-4 tanks over the internal situation in Ukraine.

The press service said that the media campaign about the alleged problems with supplies of Ukrainian Oplot tanks to Thailand is not the first: similar reports were seen last year.

Recently Thailand's Bangkok Post reported with the reference to Commander-In-Chief of Thailand Armed Forces General Chalermchai Sittisat that Bangkok and Beijing are discussing expansion of defense cooperation. Among promising directions is purchase of armored vehicles from China to replace U.S. M-41 tanks bought in the United States in 1957. Thailand has signed a contract to buy 28 Chinese VT-4 tanks and seeks to boost the supplies in 2017. Gen Chalermchai said that after problems with the delivery of 49 Oplot tanks ordered from Ukraine, the army committee which decides on military hardware procurements has opted to cut the number of tanks to be bought from Ukraine. The problem facing the Ukrainian supplier was due mainly to Ukraine's internal situation, he said.

However, the Ukrainian tank maker should be able to deliver all 49 tanks to the Thai army by October, 2017, according to Gen Chalermchai.

 

[Aung Zaya]

Thailand seeks to develop military production facilities with China

By Thanarith Satrusayang | BANGKOK

Thailand and China are in talks about building military production facilities in Thailand, a Thai defense ministry spokesman said on Wednesday, the latest sign of warming relations between China and America's oldest ally in Asia.

Relations between Thailand and the United States cooled following a May 2014 military coup that the Thai military said was necessary to end months of unrest, including street protests that led to the ouster of an elected government.

The United States has said relations cannot return to normal until democracy is restored. The generals running Thailand have promised an election for 2017.

Since the coup, the military government has sought to counterbalance U.S. ties by developing relations with China and Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan met his Chinese counterpart, Chang Wanquan, during a visit to Beijing last week.

"The defense minister told his Chinese counterpart that we are interested in setting up facilities to repair and maintain the Chinese equipment we currently have in our arsenal," ministry spokesman Kongcheep Tantravanich told Reuters.

"We will also look to their expertise in producing small arms and other security-related equipment like drones," he said.

Thailand has also held talks with Russia about setting up similar production facilities, said Kongcheep, without giving details.

Following the 2014 coup, the U.S. froze security and defense aid to Thailand. It has also scaled back annual military exercises citing concern about Thailand's political development.

Donald Trump's election victory has also raised questions about prospects for a U.S. "pivot" toward Asia, a central policy of outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama.

"If the U.S. is unable to back up its regional role ... the regional states have no other choice but to accommodate Beijing," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political science professor at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.

Kongcheep said military relations with the United States were expected to get back on track after Thailand's election.

"The relationship is not yet perfect," he said.

"Once Thailand returns to democracy, I expect the relationship to return to normal."

(Reporting by Thanarith Satrusayang; Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre, Robert Birsel)
===================================================================

Thailand and Russia move towards joint industry programme
Thailand and Russia are moving closer to finalising a defence industrial collaboration programme based on the Royal Thai Army's (RTA's) expected purchase of additional Mil Mi-17V-5 transport helicopters.

Defence officials from the Russian government and the Royal Thai Armed Forces met in Bangkok on 16 January to discuss defence industrial ties, with meetings led by General Surapong Suwana-adth, Thailand's Chief of Defence Forces, and Kirill Barsky, Russian ambassador to Thailand.

A statement said the talks were part of efforts by both sides to strengthen military-technical co-operation through a government-to-government accord. IHS Jane's understands that once finalised, this agreement will provide Thailand with partnership status on a jointly run production and maintenance facility.

This would be positioned to support the Mi-17V-5 helicopters and potentially other Russian systems in Thailand. It is also possible that the facility would look to provide maintenance support to other Mi-17V-5 operators in Southeast Asia.

The RTA wants to procure at least 12 additional Mi-17V-5s to replace its ageing fleet of Boeing CH-47D Chinook heavy-lift platforms. The RTA has already taken delivery of five Mi-17V-5 platforms ordered in two batches in 2008 and 2014 and operated by the RTA's Bangkok-based transport unit.

IHS Jane's understands that the RTA submitted a proposal to procure the helicopters in 2016. However, it is not yet clear whether funding to support the procurement is immediately available. It is likely that funding for the programme will be released in stages, allowing for several batches of three or four helicopters.

http://www.janes.com/article/66994/thailand-and-russia-move-towards-joint-industry-programme

 

[Shotgunner51]

Thailand aims to operate fleet of three submarines by 2026
Ridzwan Rahmat, Singapore - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
17 January 2017

The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has outlined a requirement to operationalise its planned fleet of three submarines by 2026, and is currently in the process of submitting this proposal to the country's military government.

The matter was disclosed by Captain Prawoot Rodmanee, chief of the RTN's submarine squadron, during his presentation at UDT Asia 2017 in Singapore on 17 January. The captain was giving a brief on the RTN's plans for the future, including updates to the service's plans to establish a submarine fleet.

Thailand is largely believed to be acquiring the S26T (Thailand) diesel-electric submarine (SSK), a modified export version of the Yuan-class (Type 041) platform from China.

Read the full article at http://www.janes.com/article/66998/thailand-aims-to-operate-fleet-of-three-submarines-by-2026

 

[Phuri]

Combat footage from 2011 Thai-Cambodian border clash

Thai infantry at Prasart Ta Kwai

Thai artillery


I laughed everytime I hear some people saying that the Thai army can't fight and will throw down their weapons and flee the moment they face an enemy.

 

[Phuri]

GHN-45A1 howitzers in Thai service

Thailand and Russia move towards joint industry programme

Thailand and Russia are moving closer to finalising a defence industrial collaboration programme based on the Royal Thai Army's (RTA's) expected purchase of additional Mil Mi-17V-5 transport helicopters.

Defence officials from the Russian government and the Royal Thai Armed Forces met in Bangkok on 16 January to discuss defence industrial ties, with meetings led by General Surapong Suwana-adth, Thailand's Chief of Defence Forces, and Kirill Barsky, Russian ambassador to Thailand.

A statement said the talks were part of efforts by both sides to strengthen military-technical co-operation through a government-to-government accord. IHS Jane'sunderstands that once finalised, this agreement will provide Thailand with partnership status on a jointly run production and maintenance facility.

This would be positioned to support the Mi-17V-5 helicopters and potentially other Russian systems in Thailand. It is also possible that the facility would look to provide maintenance support to other Mi-17V-5 operators in Southeast Asia...

http://www.janes.com/article/66994/thailand-and-russia-move-towards-joint-industry-programme

 

[Phuri]

The first DW-300H Class Frigate, dubbed HTMS Ta Chin (Hull number 471) will be launched on the 23rd of January by Admiral Naj Areenich of the Royal Thai Navy at DSME shipyard, South Korea.

 

[Phuri]

The ship's in the water.

 

[Aung Zaya]

The ship's in the water.

nice..!! a good ship in deed..

 

[Phuri]

nice..!! a good ship in deed..

We wished we could have Myanmar's level in shipbuilding skills. All we can built by ourselves are some small PT boats when you can build Frigates! That's why we're hiring South Korea's DSME ATP upgrade the navy's shipyard and we will try to build a DW-300H here.