The Royal Thai Navy’s third amphibious transport dock ship, also known as a landing platform dock (LPD) ship, was ceremoniously launched on Wednesday (Jan 4) in China at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard near Shanghai. The launching was conducted by the spouse of Navy Deputy Chief Adm Thaloengsak Sirisawat, Aranya Sirisawat.
The ship has been named HTMS Chang, after Chang Island in Trat province. The vessel was purchased as part of the navy’s 20-year plan to have all four of these large amphibious ships in operation by 2036 for various purposes, such as transporting amphibious command and support vessels, supporting submarine operations, participating in marine search and rescue operations, evacuating disaster victims, and supporting marine and portal anti-terrorism operations.
HTMS Chang measures 213 meters in length and 28 meters in width, with a maximum displacement of 20,003 tons and a draft of 17.4 meters. Its maximum speed is 25 knots, and it has a range of 10,000 nautical miles. While the navy’s goal is to have all four amphibious transport dock ships in commission at the same time, the ship was purchased to replace its predecessor, also named HTMS Chang.
In regards to naming new ships, the navy follows a fixed protocol. For amphibious ships, they must be named after an important island in the country, while frigates are named after main rivers, such as Bang Pakong. (NNT)
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