The Defence Technology Institute (DTI) of Thailand took the opportunity to showcase a series of new combat vehicles jointly developed with domestic and international partners at the 2022 Defence and Security Exhibition to meet the military needs of Thailand and the region.
DTI and privately owned Thai vehicle specialist Chaiseri have jointly developed the D-Tiger 4×4 tactical vehicle. Derived from Chaiseri’s First Win Multipurpose Vehicle (MPV), the 12-ton vehicle is the first platform to be developed by a joint venture (JV) called Thai Defense Industry (TDI) formed earlier by DTI and Chaiseri 2022.
Like the First Win MPV, the prototype D-Tiger featured a V-shaped monocoque steel hull, but contained more indigenous components and subsystems. The car is equipped with a 300-horsepower Cummins engine and can reach a top speed of 110 km/h.
According to TDI, the D-Tiger was developed with an eye toward the export market. The Philippines appears to be a leader in the mine-resistant ambush protection (MRAP) variant of the new vehicle, having signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Thailand in March to facilitate cooperation in the defense industry.
Another 4×4 protected vehicle development, known as the D-Lion, is also underway, thanks to a tripartite effort by DTI, local company Jatunapas and South Africa’s Paramount Group. A locally fabricated prototype based on the latter’s 16-ton Mbombe 4 MRAP platform was also shown.
A spokesperson told AMR that the vehicle was developed under a research memorandum of understanding with the Royal Thai Armed Forces Counter Terrorism Operations Centre (CTOC) and is being prepared by DTI for user trials later this year. The MoU calls for several variants of the vehicle, such as protected mobility and reconnaissance.
If chosen, Jatunapas plans to build the vehicle using locally-made components and equipment. The baseline Mbombe 4 has a payload capacity of 2.3 tonnes, an operating range of 800 km and a top speed of 140 km/h.
Finally, DTI is working with the Royal Thai Navy’s Naval Research and Development Office (NRDO) and Israel’s Elbit Systems to develop a localized version of the latter’s multi-caliber Precision Universal Launch System (PULS), known as the D11A Multipurpose Rocket and Missile Launcher .
According to DTI, the D11A system is positioned to meet the requirements of coastal artillery. The first locally built prototype to be unveiled at the show, based on a 10-ton Tatra 6×6 truck, has been in development since 2019, although work was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, but restarted in early 2022.
Prototypes have also been seen configured with a PULS launcher with a four-shot pod for a 306mm Extended Range Artillery (EXTRA) rocket capable of hitting targets 150km away, and a 20mm AccuLAR for 122mm guidance The tube launcher has a range of 40 kilometers. Other munitions compatible with PUL are the 160mm AccuLAR guided rocket and the 306mm Predator Eagle with a range of up to 300 km.
Trials of the D11A prototype system are expected to begin later this year, and DTI plans to certify the transmitter and begin production in 2023. DTI has successfully partnered with Elbit System to develop an Automated Truck Mounted Mortar (ATMM) mortar system using its Spear 120 mm, and an Automated Truck Mounted Gun (ATMG) equipped with an ATMOS 155mm/52 caliber self-propelled howitzer.
The local manufacture of mortars and artillery systems is undertaken by the Artillery and Mortar Production Division of the Royal Thai Army Weapons Production Centre (WPC) in Lopburi, central Thailand.
by Jr Ng
