According to information published by the Bangkok Post on January 25, 2023, the Royal Thai Navy has requested 15 billion baht over the next five years to fund its plan to acquire a new frigate. The cabinet has already agreed in principle.
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Thai frigate HTMS Bhumibol Adulyadej. (Picture source: Royal Thai Family)
The request was made through the Ministry of Defence in a budgetary plan proposed for the 2024 fiscal year, starting on Oct 1, 2023. The frigate would be the second such vessel for the navy. The first installment requested in the 2024 fiscal year is 1.7 billion baht.
The first one was HTMS Bhumibol Adulyadej that is a high-performance frigate acquired by the Royal Thai Navy through a project started in 2012 and signed in 2013 with South Korean company Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd.
The total cost of the project was approximately 14,997 million baht and included VAT, spare parts, tools, documents, support, testing, trials, training, technology transfer, and a 6-year commitment. HTMS Bhumibol Adulyadej was designed to inherit shipbuilding technology and strengthen domestic shipbuilding capabilities for the Royal Thai Navy.
The ship has a full load displacement of 3,700 tons and a length of 124.1 meters. She is powered by two diesel engines, a gas turbine, and four ship service power generators, which provide a total output of 11,840 kW. HTMS Bhumibol Adulyadej has a maximum speed of 33.3 knots and an endurance of 4,000 nautical miles at 18 knots. The crew complement consists of 141 officers.
The frigate is equipped with a variety of sensors, processing systems, and electronic warfare systems, including a Sea Giraffe 4A AESA radar, Saab SEA GIRAFFE AMB radar, and a Harris ES-3601 radar-ESM.
The armament includes a 76/62 Super Rapid stealth shield, two MSI Defence DS30M Mk.2 guns, a Phalanx Block-1B CIWS, and Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
