Navantia of Spain Won the Project to Upgrade the Capabilities of Two OPVs of the HTMS Pattani class

19 Agustus 2025

HTMS Pattani OPV-511 (photo: Thaifighterclub)

The official website of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) in the section on the publication of the agency's procurement projects issued a document on 21 July 2025 regarding the announcement of the winner of the bidding for the project to purchase combat systems and other related systems to improve the capabilities of two offshore patrol vessels of the HTMS Pattani class by means of selection.

The amount is 2,770,790,000 baht ($85,362,765) for one system of firearms and ammunition equipment. The selected company is Navantia SA, a Spanish state-owned shipbuilding enterprise. The announcement document was found in early August 2025 and was listed on the system on 23 July 2025.

This is the latest achievement for Spanish company Navantia and the Royal Thai Navy, following the announcement of the winner of the procurement of combat management systems, surveillance systems, fire control systems, weapons systems, and gyro systems, along with related support equipment, for the Combat Systems Capability Enhancement Project for the amphibious dock landing craft, HTMS Chang (III). By selection method, the budget is 909,500,000 baht ($27,100,718) , which the Royal Thai Navy and Navantia Company have officially signed the purchase contract on April 9, 2025.

Navantia Spain emerged victorious over five companies identified in the project document issued on May 8, 2024, which set a reference price (reference price) from a reference price source (reference price) using prices obtained from six companies, as follows.

1. Leonardo SpA, Italy; 

2. Thales Nedeland BV, Netherlands; 

3. Navantia SASME, Spain; 

4. ASELSAN ELEKTRONIK SANAYI TICARET AS, Turkey; 

5. SAAB AB, Sweden; and 

6. Elbit Naval Systems, Israel.

HTMS Narathiwat OPV-512 (photo: Indian Navy)

It is understood that the new Combat Management System (CMS) to be installed on the two HTMS Pattani-class offshore patrol vessels, HTMS Pattani and HTMS Narathiwat, will be the CATIZ Combat Management System (CMS) and the DORNA Fire Control System (FCS), similar to the upgrades to the floating dock landing craft HTMS Chang (III).

The Spanish Navantia CATIZ CMS and DORNA FCS fire control systems will replace the German Atlas Elektronik COSYS and Rheinmetall TMX/EO fire control systems currently installed on both HTMS Pattani-class offshore patrol vessels.

This may also include two 30mm SENTINEL 30 Naval Remote Controlled Weapon Stations (RCWS) from Spain's EM&E Group, as well as those to be installed on two T.997-class inshore patrol vessels, T.997 and T.998, and the third amphibious landing craft, HTMS Chang.

This will replace the two 20mm Denel Land Systems GI-2 manually operated machine guns currently installed on both HTMS Pattani class offshore patrol vessels. Other weapons systems already on board include one Oto Melara 76/62 naval gun, but it is unclear at this time whether the capability upgrade will include the installation of anti-ship missiles (ASM).

The Royal Thai Navy has ordered two Pattani-class offshore patrol vessels, the first of its kind in the Royal Thai Navy, to be built by the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group (HZ) in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. HTMS Pattani and HTMS Narathiwat were laid down in 2003 and 2004, respectively.

Sentinel 30, a 30 mm RCWS (photo: EM&E)

HTMS Pattani and HTMS Narathiwat were commissioned into the Patrol Squadron (PS) of the Royal Thai Fleet (RTF) on 7 November 2005 and 16 April 2006 respectively. The ships arrived in Thailand without any combat systems or weapons installed by China, which the Royal Thai Navy has been installing various Western systems on ships in Thailand.

The Pattani class of offshore patrol vessels have a full displacement of approximately 1,400 tonnes and a total length of 95.5 m, a total width of 11.6 m and a draft of 3.3 m. They are powered by two MAN RUSTON 16 RK270 diesel engines driving variable angle propellers. They have a maximum speed of 25 kt and a normal operating range of approximately 3,500 nmi at a moderate speed of 15 kt. 

There is a landing strip and hangar to support light helicopters such as the Super Lynx 300 anti-ship helicopter, the Sikorsky S-76B transport helicopter, or the Airbus Helicopters H145M transport helicopter. Currently, HTMS Pattani and HTMS Narathiwat are deployed in the Gulf of Thailand in the First Naval Area Command (1st NAC) and the Second Naval Area Command (2nd NAC).

(AAG)