Royal Thai Army Request Approval for Second Batch of 39 VN1 8x8 Wheeled Armored Vehicle in Five Variants

01 Februari 2019

Norinco VN1 (photo : Shephard)

Documents of the Army Ordnance Department on 28 January 2019 have allocated budget for Project to purchase 5 types of vehicles, VN1 type tires, and 2 maintenance vehicles. And equipment type 5, Sor Por 5, number 3 list, from China North Industries Corporation (Norinco), the state enterprise of the government of the People's Republic of China, for 2,251,272,766 baht ($ 66,233,179), which is understood to have been proposed for approval by the Thai Ministry of Defense and the government cabinet. Thailand continues respectively By procuring additional materials from the NORINCO VN1 8x8 wheeled vehicle procurement project, Phase 1, totaling 34 vehicles 2,300 million baht ($ 68 million) that China should deliver the first set of vehicles to the Thai Army in the year 2019, which has been sent to practice training in China since the year 2018. 

The NORINCO VN1 8x8 wheeled vehicle procurement project, Phase 2, consists of 3 VN1 8x8 APC armored vehicles. Each vehicle costs 56,730,000 baht ($ 1,695,000), armored vehicles installed. Fired 12 120mm heavy bombs, price of 52,900,000 baht ($ 1,550,000), Repaired vehicles VS27 number 6 cars, price 47,900,000 baht ($ 1,400,000), 12 armored vehicles, the price of 46,300,000 baht ($ 1,450,000), 3 armored ambulance vehicles, each car price 50,700,000 baht ($ 1,490,000), maintenance vehicles, 1 mechanical equipment, maintenance vehicles, 1 electrical equipment, training simulator, 1 system, automatic artillery shell, 30x165mm size, explosion-proof type (HE-T: High -Explosive-Tracer) 11,000 shots, bombs fired from the shooting machine Berd-sized 40x53mm each type of explosive (HE) 4,811 rounds and grenades fired from a grenade launcher size of 120mm high explosive (HE: High-Explosive) 500 shots expects armored wheeled VN1 8x8 is imported. Stationed at the 10th Cavalry Battalion, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division Is the first unit to replace the V-150 4x4 wheeled vehicle that has been in service since 1978, which was the main force of the patrol cavalry battalion (tires) for a long time.

The cavalry battalion, the reconnaissance unit of the 2nd M.M., the remaining 1 is the 7th Cavalry Battalion. And the 12th Cavalry Battalion It is expected that VN1 will be joined in parallel, along with the thousand. 10 in the next phase. It is expected that the second phase of the VN1 procurement project will deliver the vehicle in about a year 2021, while the BTR-3E1 Ukraine wheeled vehicle, which has been given before, should be transferred to the 2nd Infantry Regiment preserves the 12th Infantry Regiment or maintains the 2nd Infantry Brigade, preserving him to have a complete vehicle at the rate of being converted into the next complete Panzer Infantry Unit. 

VN1 8x8 wheeled vehicle procurement project, Phase 2, total of 38 vehicles, followed after the VT4 main tank supply project, Phase 3, 14 number, on December 28, 2018, awaiting approval from the Cabinet within 50 days as well, at the end of the year 2018, the VT4 main tank, Phase 2, 10 number, has been delivered by being stationed in two tank cavalry brigades of the 7th Cavalry Regiment Cavalry Brigade 3rd Battalion, 6th Cavalry Cavalry Brigade, Khon Kaen and Roi 21 projects with a total supply of 28 units in Phase 1, totaling 38 units as Thailand and China also plans to establish a maintenance center in Khon Kaen to support the use of Chinese armament systems, including the VT4 and VN1 main tank vehicles.

(AAG)