In this year’s Cobra Gold exercise, the United States, equipped with advanced technology has offered assistance in salvaging HTMS Sukhothai, which sank on December 18 last year after being caught in a storm.
The operation is scheduled to take place on Thursday (Feb22) at the salvage site, approximately 19 nautical miles or 30 kilometers off the coast of Bang Saphan District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province.
However, the operation will not involve lifting the entire warship from the water but will focus on collecting underwater evidence both inside and outside the vessel to gather information about the cause of the sinking, including the destruction of hazardous materials.
Additionally, equipment and some weaponry will be recovered from underwater, and efforts will be made to search for the five missing personnel who may still be trapped inside the vessel. Out of all 105 crew members, 76 were rescued. 24 died and five are still missing.
The Royal Thai Navy has outlined four steps for the salvage operation. The first step is preparation and mobilization involving equipment testing, planning, and joint underwater training with the US Navy to ensure readiness before commencing the operation. After that, survey and search efforts will include examining the area around the vessel and searching for missing personnel.
The next step is to remove equipment and hazardous materials before transporting salvaged equipment back to the port and summarizing the operation. The salvage operation for HTMS Sukhothai will continue until March. (TNA)
