The Sattahip Naval Base took delivery of six new patrol boats to be used by battle and coast guard squadrons.
Navy commander-in-chief Adm. Na Areenij presided over the ceremony to accept the vessels from shipbuilder Marshan Co. Nov. 30.
Navy secretary Vice Adm. Charoensak Marathana said the navy has allocated funds to add 10 patrol craft to the Sattahip base. Six were built by the Thai shipyard to avoid buying boats from overseas. The other four will be pulled out of mothballs.
The new boats will replace former patrol squad and support coastal defense as well as other missions including fisheries inspections.
The new patrol boats are fully equipped with a variety facilities and arms. They feature some of the latest tracking technology and can also be used in combat and rescue missions.
Each boat weighs 45 tons, measures 21.4 meters long and 5.6 meters wide. They transport up to nine crewmembers and have a top speed of 15 knots.
Armaments include 20 mm, 50-inch and 80-mm guns.
