The Royal Thai Navy has dismissed allegations made by an opposition member concerning its planned acquisition of submarines and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) made in Israel.
Navy Spokesperson Vice Admiral Pokkrong Monthatphalin made the clarifications on Tuesday (22 Mar) in response to accusations made by deputy Pheu Thai Party leader Yutthapong Charasathian, a vocal critic of the submarine purchase project.
Vice Adm Pokkrong dismissed an alleged link between the planned UAV procurement and the purchase of Chinese-made submarines, saying the Navy thoroughly investigated the proposed purchase of Hermes 900-model UAVs and that everything was done legally and within the next fiscal year’s budget. He added that the UAVs will be stationed at coastal naval stations.
Additionally, Vice Adm Pokkrong said the Israeli-made UAVs are being acquired separately through a rigorous selection process that requires manufacturers to present exact specifications which meet the Navy’s airworthiness, durability and low maintenance cost requirements. He also said six companies — two from Israel, two from China, and one each from the United States and Turkey — competed for the project before Israel’s Elbit Hermes 900 was chosen.
The Navy spokesperson further refuted a claim that the Hermes 900 has never been deployed by a country’s navy, stating that UAVs produced by companies bidding on the project have been in service in a number of countries.
In response to Yutthapong’s inquiry about the legal status of a company overseeing the construction of a submarine dockyard, Vice Adm Pokkrong said the agency was given full authorization to undertake the project by China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co. (NNT)
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