The Royal Thai Navy's lead Pattani-class OPV, HTMS Pattani , seen here during an exercise in the South China Sea. (US Navy)
Thailand has announced plans to carry out a major upgrade programme for its two Pattani-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs).
An announcement on this was released by the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) via its official website on 17 May under a section on procurement plans.
While the service has not given specific details of what the upgrade programme would entail, the work across the two vessels would cost THB2.83 billion (USD77.6 million), according to the announcement.
The RTN's two Pattani-class OPVs, HTMS Pattani and HTMS Narathiwat , were commissioned in December 2005 and April 2006 respectively.
Pattani was laid down in 2003 by China's Hudong Shipyard in Shanghai while Narathiwat was laid down by the same shipbuilder in 2004.
The class displaces about 1,400 tonnes at full load and has an overall length of about 95.5 m with an overall beam of 11.6 m.
Powered by two diesel engines driving two controllable-pitch propellers, the Pattani class can attain a top speed of 25 kt and a standard range of about 3,500 n miles at 15 kt.
Weapons onboard the OPV include a 76 mm naval gun as its primary armament and two 20 mm cannons in the aft section.
The vessel can embark one light helicopter such as the Airbus H145M.
Openly available information sources indicate that both Pattani and Narathiwat are deployed by the RTN for maritime surveillance missions in the Gulf of Thailand.
For more information on the Pattani class, please see
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