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VISITORS:
The Royal Thai Navy’s HTMS Taksin made a recent port call
in Sydney Harbour. She is pictured here just prior to berthing
at Fleet Base East.
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Photo:
ABPH David McMahon
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By
Michael Brooke
RAN officers got a ‘birds-eye view’ of a foreign warship when
the Royal Thai Navy’s Naresuan class missile frigate HTMS Taksin
visited Sydney last month.
Built by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation and commissioned
in 1995, HTMS Taksin is Type 25T FFG that features many of the
same state-of-the-art systems found on the RAN’s Adelaide-class
FFG and Anzac-class FFH.
“This warship is the perfect example of how hi-tech Western systems
can be successfully integrated into an inexpensive Chinese platform
to produce an FFG that punches well above her weight,” RADM Dumrongsak
Haocharoen told Navy News.
RADM Dumrongsak said the RTN has so far purchased six Chinese
frigates for approximately $70 million each and modernised them
with the latest Western systems.
The 2,900 tonne HTMS Taksin has a top speed of 32 knots and features
the same GE LM 2500 gas turbines and MTU 20 V 1163 TB83 diesel
propulsion systems as the RAN’s Adelaide class FFG. The Thai FFG
is armed with the same eight McDonnell Douglas ‘Harpoon’ (2 quad)
launchers, Mk 41 LCHR eight cell ‘Sea Sparrow’ VLS launcher, and
Mk 46 Mod 5 torpedoes as the Anzac class FFH.
The Naresuan and Anzac class frigates also employ similar 127mm
main guns, with the Thai ship armed with one FMC 5 in/54 Mk 45
Mod 2 gun that fires 20 rounds per minute at ranges of up to 23km.
HTMS Taksin is also equipped with Raytheon’s SPS-64(V)5 Iband
navigation system, Signaal LW08 air and surface search radars,
Signaal STIR fire control systems, and ESM/ECM systems supplied
by Elettronica.
RADM Dumrongsak, the commander of the RTN Naval Academy, said
European and US technicians helped RTN personnel integrate the
complex Western systems such as the radar, navigation and fire
control units.
The Thai frigate got the ‘nod of approval’ from a score of RAN
officers who paid courtesy calls during the week HTMS Taksin was
in port at Fleet Base East.
LCDR Paul Bates, the Port Services Manager who piloted HTMS Taksin
into Sydney Harbour, said he was really impressed with the Thai
vessel because it was as modern as any Western warship.
“It’s a dream to steer because it has two propellers and two rudders,
making it very easy and smooth to handle in the roughest weather,”
he said. LCDR Bates, who has piloted dozens of foreign warships
visiting FBE, said “it’s a quality warship with very good Western
systems”.
RADM Dumrongsak said HTMS Taksin, which is named after a Thai
King who saved the nation from invasion, said the Thai ship visited
Australia to enhance the maritime security relationship between
Thailand and Australia.
“Our defence forces are partners in regional security and this
has been demonstrated time and time again in peace keeping operations
such as INTERFET, UNTAET and disaster relief operations after
the Tsunami,” he said.
In addition to training and personnel exchanges, the RTN and the
RAN regularly conduct three major exercises, the maritime exercise,
AUSTHAI, the Taa Nok Insi maritime patrol exercise and Ex Kakadu.
HTMS Taksin made port calls at Darwin, Cairns and Sydney, before
leaving FBE on September 5 for the voyage back to Thailand’s Sattahip
Port, which is visited by RAN warships on a regular basis.”
