RTAF will Procure a New Short-Range SHORAD Air Defense System

22 Juli 2021

MBDA Mistral Man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS) on Spanish URO VAMTAC ST5 4x4 vehicle (photo : MBDA)

Directorate of Operations Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has announced on July 9, 2021 the development program for the defense of military bases of the Air Force in the purchase of a Short-Range Air Defense System (SHORAD) with installation and training of 1 system, the central price was set on June 25, 2021, in the amount of 940,000,000 baht ($28,673,412).

Three central price sources are United Defense Technology Co., Ltd., Datagate Co., Ltd. and Chankasem International Co., Ltd.

In addition, the Royal Thai Air Force has announced the cancellation of the purchase of short-range air defense systems on May 7, 2021, at the daytime price on March 29, 2021 in the same amount. There are two mid-price sources, Datagate Thai and RV Connex Co., Ltd.

Russian Gibka-S Mobile Short-Range Surface-to-Air Missile system based on Tigr-M 4x4 vehicle with Igla-S or Verba MANPADS (photo : Saidpvo)

The details of the need for short-range air defense systems that the Royal Thai Air Force needs are not yet known. It could be either a replacement for older antiaircraft guns ranging from a .93 M2 .50cal (12.7x99mm) double-barrel heavy machine gun, a dual-barrel Type 74 37mm antiaircraft gun or a Type 59 57mm antiaircraft gun or MANPADS: Man-Portable Air-Defence System, such as the QW-2 surface-to-air missile or VSHORAD (Very Short-Range Air-Defence), such as the Saab RBS 70 surface-to-air missile.

The three mid-price sources are Thai companies that act as foreign distributors. United Defense Company is an agent importing weapons from France, such as the Nexter Caesar 155mm self-propelled artillery and the LG1 Mk III 105mm towed artillery of Royal Thai Army (RTA).

Datagate represents arms imports from Russia, Ukraine and Europe, such as the Russian Igla-S surface-to-air missile and the UK-based Starstreak surface-to-air missile launcher used by the Royal Thai Army which the Thai Army looks to reduce the number of systems in order to be able to be used together. 

Chinese HQ-17AE (photo : inf news)

Chankasem International Representing arms imports from China, such as the Norinco VT4 main battle tank of Royal Thai Army and light amphibious tank VN16.

Recently, Datagate Thai Company was the winner of the project to supply 5 sets of mobile short-range anti-aircraft missiles for the Aircraft Combat Command and Coast Guard, Royal Thai Navy. 

Therefore, it may be possible that Datagate would offer the Royal Thai Air Force a similar weapon system if the requirements were similar or perhaps a different system, such as an air defense system with a surface-to-air missile and a Russian Pantsir-S machine gun.

Chankasem should offer a Chinese system for example the HQ-17AE wheeled close-range air defense system. United Defense may offer a European system such as the French MBDA Mistral surface-to-air missile in the form of a self-propelled launcher or the Diehl IRIS-T SL surface-to-air missile, Germany.

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)

Around the same time that the winner of the MANPADS project was announced, Panus Assembly Co Ltd., Thailand, has published a three-dimensional model of the concept of a wheeled armored vehicle. Their new Phantom-S 4x4 wheels are air-defense-equipped models.

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.

The air defense system installed like a Saab RBS 70 NG surface-to-air missile and a Swedish Giraffe 1X radar, which may be proposed in the project of procurement of a short-range air defense system of the Royal Thai Air Force. In the past, there may be an RV Connex as a representative.

(AAG)