Budget of THB 950 Million for the Royal Thai Navy’s New Frigate (HTMS Chang) Artillery and System Installations.
The largest ship in the Thai naval force, the “HTMS Chang,” with a gross tonnage of 25,000, has been purchased by the Royal Thai Navy (RTN).
At Chuk Samet Pier at Sattahip Naval Base in Chonburi Province, the multipurpose amphibious assault ship’s inaugural ceremony was held. The vessel was built in China before sailing to Thailand.
The HTMS Chang is intended to support amphibious operations, serve as a submarine tender, and be employed in disaster relief operations, according to the RTN.
Budget restrictions, however, have prevented some equipment from being built, including air and surface radar systems, main and secondary artillery, command centers, and command centers. Later on, the navy will hire businesses to deploy these systems. The Cabinet has authorized a 950 million baht budget for this purpose, which is awaiting legislative approval.
Once submarines are acquired, the vessel will need further system installations in order to operate entirely as a submarine tender. The navy has guaranteed that the money set out in the budget for the weapons systems, control centers, and firearms is worthwhile.
The HTMS Chang is 210 meters long, 28 meters wide, and has a 7-meter draft. It has a crew of 196 people on board. It has surpassed the Spanish-purchased helicopter carrier HTMS Chakri Naruebet to become the biggest ship in the Royal Thai Navy.
