HTMS Sukhothai, a Royal Thai Navy (RTN) corvette, sunk in the Gulf of Thailand due to a heavy storm just before midnight on Sunday (Dec. 18). 75 crew members have already been rescued and brought ashore while efforts are still ongoing to locate 31 that are still missing, the navy said.
The ship was on patrol 32 km off the coast of the Bang Saphan district (about 295 km South-South West from Bangkok) when strong winds and high waves caused it to list 60 degrees to the starboard. It suffered a total loss of power due to a large amount of seawater entering the ship and started sinking.
After receiving a distress call from HTMS Sukhothai, the RTN immediately launched a rescue operation with three vessels and two helicopters which managed to reach the ship when it was still afloat. Efforts to pump the water out from the stricken ship had to be abandoned because of the weather and rough sea condition and it finally sank at around 11:30 pm.
HTMS Sukhothai is one of two Ratanakosin-class corvettes of the Royal Thai Navy. It was built by the Tacoma Boatbuilding Company, United States, and launched in 1986 before being commissioned one year later.
The ship has a length of 76.82 meters, a 9.55 meters beam, and a displacement of 840 tonnes. Powered by two diesel engines delivering a total of 12,000 kW (16,000 bhp), it has a maximum speed of 26 knots. Its maximum range is 3000 nautical miles (5,600 km) under its cruising speed of 16 knots.
With a standard complement of 87 personnel, HTMS Sukhothai is armed with a combination of 76 mm, 40 mm, and 20 mm naval guns, light torpedoes as well as anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles.
[Photo: Royal Thai Navy]
L3Harris Technologies has successfully conducted the first flight of its all-digital electronic warfare (EW) suite, Viper Shield, on a single-seat…
Princess Anne, the United Kingdom’s Princess Royal, has officially opened a new electro-optics facility at Thermoteknix, a company based in…
The French Defence Procurement Agency (Direction Générale de l'Armement / DGA) has entered into a 24-month contract with Airbus Defence…
In December 2024, Integrated Surveillance and Defense (ISD), in partnership with the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and Indonesian…
Veridos will once again supply the technology for identifying participants at the Munich Security Conference (MSC), scheduled to take place…
Rheinmetall has secured a major contract to advance the digitalisation of the Bundeswehr’s communication infrastructure. The company, through its subsidiary…
Lufthansa Group has begun the integration of ITA Airways into its network, with several key benefits now available to passengers.…
The Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) is set to receive six Rafale fighter jets from France in 2026, Air Chief Marshal…
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has retired its fleet of C-130H Hercules aircraft after 60 years of service.…
Lockheed Martin has delivered the first F-16 Block 70 fighter jet to Bulgaria, marking a significant advancement in the country’s…
BIRD Aerosystems has received a follow-on order for the company's Aeroshield missile protection system, which includes the SPREOS (Self Protection…
The U.S. Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin a $383 million contract modification to continue the development of the next generation…
Cohort plc, an independent technology group, has completed the acquisition of EM Solutions, an Australian company specialising in satellite communication…
The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has outlined plans to acquire four new frigates to strengthen its fleet, with preparations underway…
Aselsan, Türkiye’s leading defense company, signed export contracts worth over 1 billion USD in 2024, a record high figure in…
L3Harris Technologies' Chief Financial Officer Ken Bedingfield, 52, took over as President, Aerojet Rocketdyne, effective Monday. He succeeds Ross Niebergall,…
ZeroAvia has reached consensus on the Certification Basis relating to its 600kW electric propulsion system (EPS) with the Federal Aviation…
ASQS, a provider of integrated safety and quality management software for the aviation industry, has appointed Florian Lis-Srajer as Deputy…
As Tehran and Moscow continue military cooperation, Iran has acquired advanced Sukhoi-35 fighter jets from Russia to bolster its military…
Israeli company Smartshooter has unveiled its latest counter-UAS (C-UAS) solution: Smash Dome. The lightweight, portable, and adaptable solution supports both…
The Israeli ministry of defence is evacuating a new shopping list submitted by Morocco. Israeli defence sources said that the…
Sentrycs has introduced HORIZON, an AI-driven counter-drone system designed to detect a wide range of DIY drones, including those that…
Terma has signed a contract with Swiss aerospace and telecommunications company SWISSto12 to supply key equipment for the HummingSat project,…
The first of the two Airbus-built new generation SpainSat satellites, SpainSat NG-I, has been successfully launched on a Falcon 9…
Embraer has begun accepting applications for its Social Tech Careers programme, a free technology training initiative designed for women and…
A renaming ceremony was held at Fincantieri’s Muggiano shipyard on Wednesday (Jan. 29) for two Multipurpose Combat Ships / Pattugliatore…
Switzerland-based JEKTA, the manufacturer of the zero-emissions PHA-ZE 100 amphibious aircraft, has formed two new strategic partnerships to enhance its…
The Hungarian Ministry of Defence and EDGE, a prominent advanced technology and defence group, have signed a letter of intent…
Boom Supersonic has announced the successful first supersonic flight of the company's XB-1 demonstrator aircraft at Mojave Air & Space…
BlackSky Technology Inc. has signed a seven-year contract worth over $100 million with a long-term strategic partner in the international…
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.