Yonhap reported that South Korea’s Defense Minister Suh Wook met with his Thai counterpart in Bangkok on Monday to discuss defense cooperation between the two countries and the security situations on the Korean Peninsula and in the region. Suh held talks with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who doubles as defense minister, on the second day of his three-day visit to Thailand. During the meeting, Prayut said Bangkok wishes to expand arms industry cooperation with South Korea. The Southeast Asian country is reviewing a new frigate project and intends to start talks on defense industry cooperation with South Korea as soon as the pandemic situation improves.
Thailand secured a 3,750-ton frigate from South Korea in 2018, currently deployed for field operations. DW3000F or HTMS. Bhumibol Adulyadej (FFG-471) It is a project to acquire two naval high-performance frigates. The project started in 2012 and was signed for purchase in 2013 from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. (DSME) from South Korea. HTMS Bhumibol Adulyadej (FFG 471), is the lead ship of her class of frigates for the Royal Thai Navy, developed from the Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyer. The DW-3000F hull is different from the Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyer, due to the design of the ship having reduced radar cross-section, and there are many other additional technologies added.
The ship was developed based on the South Korean Navy Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyer (KDX-I). The ship was built at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd, South Korea, from 2013 to 2018. The hull is designed using Stealth Technology. Both the hull and its systems are focused on reducing detection by opponents. And reduce heat radiation Reduces radar reflection and noise. The naval combat system is linked to the Air Force aircraft Link E, Link RTN, especially the link with HTMS Naresuan (FFG-421), HTMS Taksin (FFG-422), and HTMS Chakri Naruebet (CVH-911) with Link G, the Jas-39 Gripen multirole fighter aircraft is the Air Force’s most advanced 4.5 generation fighter.
As part of the development of Network Centric Warfare. High-performance frigates Designed hull and structure Support for improvements to be able to fire the RIM-66 Standard MR ground-to-air missile, including a plan to support it. The companies involved in the assembly system include the launch pad, the vertical missile launcher (Mk.41 VLS), the combat system. The fire control radar and target radar (Illuminator) can be improved to support the firing of such launch weapons when the Navy needs it and the budget situation allows. Self-defense capabilities are RGM-84L Block II Harpoon anti-ship missile, Oto Melara 76/62 Super Rapid Stealth Shield naval artillery, Mark 54 Lightweight Torpedo, RIM-162 ESSM Block II, Phalanx Block-1B CIWS, electronic decoys, centralized or discrete damage control systems.
