The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has acquired the “HTMS Chang,” a 25,000-gross-tonnage vessel that is now the largest ship in the Thai naval fleet.
The inauguration ceremony for the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship was held at Chuk Samet Pier of Sattahip Naval Base in Chonburi Province. The ship was assembled in China and sailed to Thailand.
According to the RTN, the HTMS Chang is designed to support amphibious operations, act as a submarine tender and will also be used in disaster relief efforts.
However, due to budget constraints, some equipment has not yet been installed, including primary and secondary artillery and command centers, as well as air and surface radar systems. The navy will contract companies to install these systems at a later date. A budget of 950 million baht for this purpose has been approved by the Cabinet and is awaiting parliamentary consideration.
The vessel will require further system installations to fully function as a submarine tender once submarines are procured. The navy has assured that the budget allocation for the weapon systems, command centers and guns is worth the investment.
With a total crew of 196, the HTMS Chang measures 210 meters in length, 28 meters in width, and has a 7-meter draft. It is now the largest ship in the Royal Thai Navy, surpassing the helicopter carrier HTMS Chakri Naruebet, which was acquired from Spain. (NNT)
