The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) held an anointing ceremony for its newest Landing Platform Dock (LPD) ship, HTMS Chang (792), on Saturday, 18 May, at Sattahip Naval Base in Chonburi province. The ceremony was officiated by Thailand’s reigning monarch, King...
To read the full article, please log in or enter your email below:
The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) held an anointing ceremony for its newest Landing Platform Dock (LPD) ship, HTMS Chang (792), on Saturday, 18 May, at Sattahip Naval Base in Chonburi province. The ceremony was officiated by Thailand’s reigning monarch, King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Named after an island in Thailand’s Trat province, HTMS Chang (792) is the largest LPD in Southeast Asia. The vessel was constructed by the China Shipbuilding Trading Company (CSSC) at Shanghai’s Hudong Zhonghua shipyard under a 2019 contract valued at USD 200.7 million, and was delivered in April 2023.
The HTMS Chang, also known as the Type 071ET, is an export version of China’s Type 071 (NATO: Yuzhao-class) LPD, with eight ships of this class currently serving in China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) since 2007. Delivered to Thailand under the FFBNW (Fit For But Not With) status, the ship’s advanced electronics, sensors, and weapons will be installed separately by the RTN.
Since taking delivery of the ship in 2023, the service has conducted a series of qualification tests and crew training. Following the anointing ceremony, the navy will begin outfitting the ship with various electronics and weapon systems. The budget allocated for this installation is THB 920 million (approximately USD 25.5 million), involving companies such as Leonardo, Thales, Navantia, Aselsan, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Hartech Technologies, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
As the largest LPD in the Southeast Asia region, HTMS Chang (792) has a displacement of around 25,000 tonnes. The ship measures 210 metres in length, 28 metres in width, and has a draft of 7 metres. It is crewed by 196 personnel and can embark 650 fully equipped troops. The well deck can accommodate up to four 150-ton class hovercraft (Landing Craft Air Cushion / LCAC), and it has a large hangar capable of housing and maintaining four medium-sized helicopters, along with two landing pads at the aft section.
Currently, the ship is temporarily armed with two 12.7 mm heavy machine guns and two Oerlikon 20 mm cannons. Upon completion of the fitting-out process, it is expected to be equipped with a 76 mm main cannon, two 30 mm or 40 mm cannons, and up to four decoy launchers.
Photo: AAG
Interview: Şevket Ünal – Vice President, International Business Development & Marketing, HAVELSAN You are participating in the Defence & Security…
GBP Aerospace & Defence, publisher of industry leading titles such as AsianDefence Technology and World Defence Technology, has been appointedExclusive…
A top U.S. Marine official met with the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Manila on Thursday, strengthening the alliance…
The U.S. Marine Corps has temporarily deployed a drone unit to support Philippine maritime security in the South China Sea,…
Embraer and Saab, in cooperation with the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), have successfully completed the certification flight test campaign for…
Omnisys has introduced the BRO (Battle Resource Optimization) C-UAS system, a field-proven, real-time optimization platform built to help airport organizations…
Brazilian aerospace major Embraer S.A. (NYSE: EMBJ / B3: EMBJ3) has used its presence at the COP30 (the 30th UN…
In a significant move for Southeast Asian maritime security, Spanish shipbuilder Navantia and European defence prime Thales have formalised a…
In a significant development for the global air defence market, Turkish defence-electronics specialist Aselsan has reportedly been awarded a contract…
Curtiss-Wright's PacStar 451, 452, 453, and 454 tactical edge servers, which are part of PacStar Modular Data Center (MDC), are…
Saab has signed a contract with the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation for deliveries of the Carl-Gustaf…
The United States military has deployed various assets to support its long-time ally in Asia with relief efforts in areas…
The Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs, on behalf of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA, also known as APMM), has…
Japan’s newly installed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has ignited a sharp diplomatic flare-up with China in the wake of her…
In a significant move for the Asia-Pacific aviation and aerospace sector, the Philippine Airlines (PAL) has finalised a 12-year loan…
Thales and Universal Communication Systems have signed a contract to provide an Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) for Royal Thai…
Indonesia’s PT SSE has launched the P2 Tiger, a new 4x4 Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) developed for Indonesia and built…
The United Arab Emirates is accelerating its engagement with the Asia-Pacific defence sector, highlighted by the decision to establish an…
Hanwha Ocean’s 4,000-ton class frigate is the centerpiece of its exhibition and this model is on offer by the shipbuilder…
The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has initiated a significant procurement process to acquire advanced Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS), signalling a…
The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has for the first time publicly shown a coordinated aerial formation involving its…
Tehran appears to be charting a dramatic escalation in missile warfare doctrine. According to multiple sources, Iran is reportedly preparing…
The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) is encountering mounting headwinds in its bid to challenge Western aerospace dominance, as…
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) said Tuesday it deployed one of its S-70i Black Hawk helicopters to deliver relief goods…
Thailand’s new Air Force Commander-in-Chief, Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Sakesan Kantha, has unveiled a forward-looking vision for the Royal Thai…
Indo Defence Expo & Forum is now over two decades old. Launched in 2004 and hosted by Indonesia’s Ministry of…
The DSA and NATSEC Asia defence exhibitions have now been in existence for nearly four decades and is one of…
Cohort plc and Hanwha Ocean have entered into an agreement to jointly address the future needs of the Royal Thai…
Pratt & Whitney Canada has entered into a maintenance agreement at the ongoing Defense and Security show with the Royal…
ZenaTech, Inc. is actively presenting its subsidiary ZenaDrone at Defence & Security 2025. The company is engaging with regional defence…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2025 GBP all rights reserved.