With a major facelift for <i>HTMS Chakri Naruebet</i>, the Royal Thai Navy is entering a new era with heightened prowess.
The facelift is to restore the carrier's old "Rule the Sky, Rule the Sea" motto that has been left almost forgotten. Chakri Naruebet, a name bestowed by His Majesty the King, means "in honour of the Chakri Dynasty".
The 1997 financial crisis that prompted the government to cut back spending dealt a heavy blow to the navy which had the carrier built in Spain for 7.1 billion baht.
The carrier, which entered service in that difficult year, was too expensive to operate and she has been mostly docked for nearly 20 years. It requires at least one million baht to send the carrier out, usually closer to two million. The fuel alone for a three-day exercise, which takes place almost every month, can cost the navy about one million baht.
Designed as an aircraft carrier, the Chakri Naruebet was converted into a helicopter carrier after a squadron of AV-8s Harrier ground attack aircraft were decommissioned several years ago.
She was then carrying only six S-70B Sea Hawk, and two MH-60s Knight Hawk helicopters. But it's known the navy dreamed of having fighter jets of its own for this carrier.
Due to the high operation costs, the navy limits the use of the carrier to disaster relief missions and humanitarian operations as well as naval exercises. Most of the time, the ship is docked at Sattahip naval base as a tourist attraction.
Not long ago the navy planned to buy three submarines from China for 36 billion baht, but because of public opposition the government decided to put the purchase on hold. That proved a boon to the Chakri Naruebet; the navy has instead concentrated on the carrier's facelift which includes improvements to its combat systems and a new, more efficient Sea Giraffe radar to increase its tracking capability.
As well as the carrier, the navy has also updated the frigates HTMS Taksin and Naresuan, fitting them with technology which makes them compatible with the air force's Gripen fighters as well as the SAAB 340 AEW (airborne early warning) aircraft equipped with Erieye radar. Improvements to the radar system of the frigate Rattanakosin have been made.
The navy spent nearly 10 billion baht on the upgrades which will enable it and and the air force to hold a joint exercise, called "2016 Navy," next year.
Touted as the biggest naval exercise in 10 years, 2016 Navy will be the first comprehensive joint exercise between the navy, which will make use of most of the ships that have been docked over the years because of budget constraints, and the air force. However, by accommodating the air force's Gripen, the navy has to resign itself to the fact it will no longer be able to acquire its own fighter jets for the Chakri Naruebet carrier.
There are also reports the air force plans to purchase another four Gripens to complete its squadron at Surat Thani-based Wing 7. The additional fighters should make the squadron live up to its nickname "Ferocious Shark of the Andaman".
Needless to say, the joint exercise should improve the military's deterrence capabilities in new ways.
We also can expect the Chakri Naruebet carrier to play a more prominent role as the fleet's flagship and bring great pride to the navy.
Wassana Nanuam is a senior news reporter covering military affairs for the Bangkok Post.