HTMS Chakri Naruebet (CVS-911)

History

RTN (Royal Thai Navy) HMTS (His Majesty's Thai Ship) Chakri Naruebet (911) is Thailand's first and only aircraft carrier (and the first to serve in Southeast Asia). It is also the smallest service trolley in the world. The name "Chakri Naruebet" was given to the ship by King Bhumibol Adulyadej, meaning "the monarch of the Chakri dynasty". Shipyard Izar EN Bazan between 1994 and 1996.

Both designs are based on the US "Sea Control Ship" (SCS) model.

The Royal Thai Navy built the fixed-rotor aircraft carrier with a budget of 7 billion baht ($175 million) as the Royal Thai Navy needed a new high-tech vessel to power their aging vessels to keep them afloat Fleet modernization for the military growth of its regional rivals, especially those in Malaysia and Indonesia. Delivered to the Thai Navy in 1997, Chakri Naruebet became the official yacht, the flagship of the service and the figurehead of the royal family.

For the latter purpose, representative rooms and dormitories suitable for family members were incorporated into the design.

The main role of Chakri Naruebet is to patrol and protect Thailand's considerable coastline. The vessel is designed to run on diesel, but can be converted to a gas turbine for high-speed cruising. This arrangement is known as "CODAG" ("Combined Diesel and Gas"). When Typhoon Gay struck Thailand in 1989, the Royal Thai Navy - as the main search and rescue (SAR) service - found its ships and aircraft to be largely unsuitable for operations in severe weather.

Nonetheless, the airline played an important role in surveillance and search and rescue in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and was deployed in training and disaster relief operations after the 2004 tsunami.

The main armament of the warship consists of 3 French-made "Sadral" rocket launchers (Mistral rockets) to deal with long-range threats. Carrying at least 2 x .50 caliber heavy machine guns for close range threats, she is equipped with a Hughes SPS-52C E/F band air search radar.

She also carries four SRBOC decoy launchers and an SLQ-32 towed sonar array for underwater threats. A pair of 1007 Series Kelvin-Hughes systems provide navigation.

Of course, the heart of any aircraft carrier's armament is its squadron. By 2006, Chakri Naruebet was assigned nine AV-8S Matadors (Harriers) VTOL attack aircraft - launched using a bow ski jump configuration.

In addition, her wings are 8 x Sikorsky H-60 ??"Knighthawk"/"Seahawk" medium naval helicopters with load shedding (can handle 20 - 10 in the provided hangar space).

The first AV-8S Harriers squadrons delivered have been in service for over 30 years and spare parts are hard to come by, so the use of these aircraft has diminished over time. Her initial primary anti-aircraft missile system was not installed, and due to operating costs, the ship only went to sea about one day a month.

Most military observers see the ship as a symbol of royal prestige, and most importantly - taking away an important operational support tool for amphibious warfare.

Her crew of more than 600 includes a crew of 393 and 146, led by 62 officers and, where appropriate, four members of the Royal Family and their associates. Her propulsion power consists of 2 x GE LM2500 gas turbines 22,125hp and 2 x Bazan MTU 16V1163 TB83 diesel engines 5,600hp driving 2 x stern shafts.

The range is up to 10,000 nautical miles and the speed is just over 25 knots.

Since her introduction to the Ministry, Chakri Naruebet has been involved in a number of humanitarian relief efforts in the Thailand region. It allows Thailand to join the US-led elite group of world navies that supports Faircraft aircraft carriers.

Regional powers such as South Korea and China each send one, the former is more suitable for helicopter launch and recovery operations.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Wing