Ratanakosin-class corvette


The Ratanakosin-class corvettes are a class of two corvettes that were built for the Royal Thai Navy in the 1980s. Constructed in the United States, a third was planned to be built in Thailand, but was canceled before construction could begin. The Ratanakosin class is used as flagships for squadrons of fast attack craft. Both ships remain in service.

Design

The Ratanakosin class is based on the Saudi Arabian design. They have a normal displacement of and full load. The corvettes measure long with a beam of and a draft of. The class is powered by MTU 20V1163 TB83 diesel engines each driving one shaft rated at. This gives the vessels a maximum speed of and a range of at. The ships have a complement of 15 officers and 72 enlisted.
The class is equipped with one Decca 1226 and one HSA ZW-06 surface search radar, one HSA DA-05 air/surface search radar, one HSA WM-25 fire control radar, one HSA LIROD-8 optical fire control system, and one STN Atlas DSQS-21C hull-mounted sonar. The corvettes are armed with two quad launchers for eight RGM-84 Harpoon surface-to-surface missiles and one octuple Albatros launcher for 24 Selenia Aspide surface-to-air missiles. Furthermore, the vessels are armed with one Otobreda gun, two Bofors guns in a twin Otobreda mount and two Oerlikon GAM-B01 cannon. The Ratanakosin class is also equipped with two Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes for Sting Ray torpedoes.

Ships in the class

Construction and career

The Royal Thai Navy ordered two corvettes from the Tacoma Boatbuilding Company in Tacoma, Washington, United States on 9 May 1983. The lead ship was laid down on 6 February 1984. Named Ratanakosin, the vessel was launched on 11 March 1986. The second ship in the class was laid down on 26 March 1984. Named Sukhothai, the vessel was launched on 20 July 1986. Ratanakosin was commissioned on 26 September 1986 and Sukhothai on 19 February 1987. The third ship, which was planned for construction in Thailand, was canceled before construction began. This was due to increased interest by the Royal Thai Navy in Vosper Thornycroft's design that became the. Ratanakosin-class corvettes are used as flagships for squadrons of fast attack craft.