The Commander-in-Chief of the RTN Inspected the Tactical Weapons Firing Exercise of the ACDC in the Annual Navy Exercise 2025

14 Mei 2025

Field/Sea Training (FTX) in the annual Navy exercise 2025 (all photos: ACDC)

Admiral Chiraphol Wongwit, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Navy, together with senior officers of the Royal Thai Navy, traveled to inspect the tactical weapons firing training of the Air Defense and Coastal Defense Command, with Rear Admiral Etm Yuwanangkur, Commander of the Air Defense and Coastal Defense Command, giving his welcome at the Khao Lampi - Thai Mueang Weapons Firing Range, Thai Mueang District, Phang Nga Province.

Tactical weapon firing exercise of the Air Defense and Coastal Defense Command is part of the Field/Sea Training (FTX) in the annual Navy exercise 2025, which is a real-world training of the Air Defense and Coastal Defense Command to test the readiness of individuals, objects and tactics, test the readiness and capability of the unit's weapon firing exercise for coastal defense and air defense of the Air Defense and Coastal Defense Command, including tactical weapon firing exercises with coastal defense artillery, anti-aircraft guns and IGLA-S short-range anti-aircraft guided weapons supported by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAS) and naval inspection, as well as testing the ability to monitor the situation of the control unit, including the readiness to prepare for the medium-range surface-to-air missile firing exercise FK-3 for attacking air targets, which is in accordance with the national defense plan by simulating a training situation to deal with, defend and attack enemies who invade the nation's sovereignty at sea and airspace. The results of the weapon firing exercise are in line with the set goals.

The equipment used in this tactical shooting exercise consisted of a 130 mm medium artillery gun, a 155 mm medium artillery gun with a curved trajectory, a 37 mm anti-aircraft gun, a 40/70 mm anti-aircraft gun, two IGLA-S close-range anti-aircraft guided weapons fired from vehicles from the Air Defense and Coast Defense Command, and a 155 mm ATMG medium artillery gun from the Marine Corps Command.

In the part of the IGLA-S short-range anti-aircraft missile, it is a short-range anti-aircraft missile. The principle of target acquisition is based on the detection and reception of infrared radiation emitted from the heat source of the aircraft. The weapon will lock on the target and be ready for the shooter to release the rocket to track and destroy the target. And when the rocket leaves the launch tube, the operation will be in the form of Fire and Forget. The target used in firing the weapon this time is a fixed-wing drone training target developed by the Royal Thai Navy's Military Research and Development Office.

The FK-3 medium-range surface-to-air missile is a medium-long-range air defense weapon system that can operate in all weather conditions, day and night. It is designed to intercept fighter aircraft, fixed-wing aircraft, rotary-wing aircraft, including armed attack helicopters, unmanned aircraft, cruise missiles, strategic missiles, and air-to-ground missiles. It can work as a stand-alone system and be deployed in the Air Defense and Coast Defense Command.

The annual navy exercise is considered the most important exercise of the navy, using the training concept of "Train like you fight". This year, it is a national defense exercise, setting situations ranging from normal to critical situations to national defense, which tests and creates familiarity with the concepts, principles, and capabilities of each type of combat force.

All parts of the navy, both in the training headquarters and all training units, have prepared and carried out the parts related to the exercise to the fullest extent of their abilities, using the training objectives and test topics set by the navy as specific objectives according to the unit's mission and testing them in the Command Problem Exercise (CPX) and Field/Sea Exercise (FTX) to comply with the policies, orders, and training objectives that have been set.

The results of this exercise, in addition to the personnel participating in the exercise from various units of the navy using the main tactics in joint combat and testing the navy's use of forces in accordance with the national defense plan to gain more knowledge and expertise from the actual exercise, also made the navy aware of the capabilities and limitations of the current personnel, including joint operations with various units of the navy, to be used in planning to develop capabilities for missions, especially in national defense, to be more effective on Wednesday, May 8, 2025.

(ACDC)