Datagate Wins for the Supply of 5 MANPADS 4x4 Mobile Short-Range Anti-Aircraft Missiles for the Thai Navy

02 Juli 2021

Gibka-S Mobile Short-Range Surface-to-Air Missile system based on Tigr-M 4x4 vehicle with Igla-S or Verba Man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS) (photo : Said Aminov)

Royal Thai Navy Central Procurement and Price Information Center Announcing the winners of the project to supply 5 mobile short-range anti-aircraft missiles for the Aircraft Combat Command and Coast Guard, Royal Thai Navy by the Naval Ordnance Department, Royal Thai Navy is Datagate Co., Ltd. Thailand, with the amount of 245,89 million baht ($7,682,982.06) according to the results published on the website in June 2021.

Datagate Thai Company was the winner over another competitor, China Vanguard Industry Corp (CVIC), China, a distributor of anti-aircraft missile systems that have been slams the Vanguard family, such as the QW-18 surface-to-air missile that already been in use.

Datagate is known to be a distributor of Russian Igla-S surface-to-air missiles and the UK-based Starstreak surface-to-air missile launcher used by the Royal Thai Army.

According to the Draft Scope of Work (TOR), there has a need for a Man Portable Air Defense Missile Systems (MANPADS) type of mobile short-range anti-aircraft missile system. 

In the first form, the firing set will consist of 1 launch pad has a ballistic missile launcher Fire-and-Forget 4 shots, equipped with at least 2 shots on a specialized vehicle, an armored four-door 4x4.

The computer graphic images of Thailand company's Panus Assembly Co.,Ltd new concept for Phantom-S 4x4 wheeled armoured vehicle in configuration of air defence variant (image : Panus Assembly)

Datagate is likely to offer Russia's newest version of the Igla-S, or Verba surface-to-air missile. Along with the Dzhigit launch pad that supports the installation of anti-aircraft missiles mounted on the shoulder like this.

Or maybe a more modern Gibka-S launcher system? It combines a fire control system that can fire weapons from within the vehicle's shield and integrates an air surveillance radar system. For example, mounted on a Russian armored vehicle Tigr 4x4.

In the midst of the announcement of the procurement results, Panus Assembly Co Ltd. Thailand has published a conceptual 3D rendering of the Phantom-S wheeled armored vehicle, its new 4x4 which is equipped with an air defense system.

Both armored vehicles launching weapons launch ground-to-air missiles. And and armored vehicles with radar makes it possible that Panus Thai Company may offer its armored vehicle to be used as a specialized vehicle of a mobile short-range anti-aircraft missile system for the Royal Thai Navy.

A note from the 3D images is that the Phantom-S 4x4 appears to be a scaled-down version of the Phantom 380-X1 4x4 wheeled vehicle that the Royal Thai Marine Corps (RTMC) has already deployed to the southern border. 

Meanwhile, an air defense system equipped with a Saab RBS 70 NG surface-to-air missile and a Swedish Giraffe 1X radar may be offered in the Air Force's procurement project for a short-range air defense system (RTAF).

(AAG)