According to the tactics of the Thai Army We will place the M1126 Stryker ICV in the 112th Infantry Regiment, serving as the Mechanized Infantry Regiment. Therefore, with the scope of duties Therefore, use weapons adequately according to tactics, that is, use weapons on vehicles and weapons of transported personnel. Mainly attack infantry targets.
Just found out about this, Thailand really is the land of COIN
Its the Cessna Summit T-337 Sentry which is a militarized version the Cessna Skymaster famously used in CIA Operations in the Vietnam War and Contra Wars. This was supposed to replace the O-1 Bird Dog and then to be replaced by the OV-10 Bronco after it was developed but some units remained in service for some time after.
Its got an armament of:
Pretty nifty little thing lol
I was actually looking for more information on the various subsystems the Thais used on their hueys for CAS missions. Too bad I cant really find like a source where it just lists the subsystems they use but heres a pretty interesting find from the photos:
Anybody know what specific rocket launcher is that? Im not even sure if that is a rocket launcher. Also on that note do you guys know what this specific rocket is? It looks different from the usual FFAR Mighty Mouse Rockets.
Also the Thais fitted what looks like a grenade launcher as a door gun on its hueys as well.
Also does anybody know if Thailand armed their Sikorsky S-70B Seahawks? It seems to retain the hardpoint at least.
I swear I keep bumping into more COIN aircraft for Thailand. Heres one for RTAF’s special-mission recon-transport role; its the IAI 201 Arava.
Now here’s an important caveat - Im not sure if Thailand operated a version of this that was actually armed but still, it did have armed versions and from what I can see its easy to refit it to arm this thing.
The Israeli Aircraft Industries Arava is a light STOL utility transport aircraft built in Israel by IAI in the late 1960s. While the armed version of the 201 Arava did not enter service with the Israeli Air Force (and the Royal Thai Airforce), the unarmed version did. It proved to be extremely useful as a transport in the 1973 Yom Kippur war as it’s STOL capabilities were extremely useful in the terrain of Sinai and was also used in the 1982 Lebanon war.
There is an old proposal that is stuck in passed for consideration purgatory in the old forums here: IAI 201 Arava, a funny military transport aircraft... WITH GUNS - Passed for Consideration - War Thunder - Official Forum
Anyways, I was actually looking for more UH-1 subsystems that the RTAF may have used and stumbled upon this little guy:
I have no freaking idea why someone would put the rockets like that. I assume its for transport purposes but if it was that then theres no need for it to be placed on an incline right? So it must be put like that for the express purpose of using that in that placement. Not the most absurd huey armament though, afterall the US themselves tried to arm the hueys with M61 Vulcans.
Also while we are on the topic, on the helicopter subtree proposal - this was presented as a bomb rack which I think COULD be wrong but I am not sure. For me at least, it looks like an XM-22 Guided Missile System instead as while there are certainly bomb-equipped hueys - the ones developed by the US actually used bomblets and the bigger ones I think are much more recent that allows for the carrying for bigger bombs such as with Lebanese Hueys. Also looking at the mount, it definitely matches the mount for the XM-22 Guided Missile System.
Helicopter Subtree Proposal: Thailand sub-tree : Helicopter tree
The story of the Royal Thai Navy’s first aircraft carrier, HTMS Chakri Naruebet, is an interesting story, for it has quite a unique origin. After the disaster and tragedy caused by the Kavali Cyclone of 1989, the Royal Thai Navy, realizing their lack of efficient rescue options and rapid rescue capabilities, requested a purchase of a large ship with search and rescue capability with helicopters and aircraft onboard for search and rescue operations, thus, beginning the story of the HTMS Chakri Naruebet.
In the year 1992, the Thai government approved the requisition order for a helicopter carrier, allowing the Royal Thai Navy to conduct a government-to-government purchase of a helicopter carrier with the nation of Spain, leading to the construction and subsequent deployment of HTMS Chakri Naruebet, Thailand’s first helicopter carrier with aircraft carrier’s capabilities, in the year 1997. Alongside the HTMS Chaki Naruebet, the Royal Thai Navy also purchased 9 AV-8S from the Royal Spanish Navy, improving HTMS Chakri Naruebet with several capabilities such as aerial interception, ground attack, Anti-ship and Anti-submarine operations, as well as Close air support and reconnaissance.
A notable utilization of Thai AV-8S was its deployment in the 2003 Phnom Penh riots during Operation Pochentong 1. While it did not see the combat it was built for, the Thai AV-8S fleet was deployed alongside HTMS Chakri Naruebet in the secure and rescue operation and as a backup. In the end, AV-8S didn’t see any combat operations thanks to the diplomatic communication and cooperation between the Thai and Cambodian Governments.
Today, while the AV-8S may no longer be under the Royal Thai Navy’s service, it still serves as an attraction at the Royal Thai Airforce Museum. If you wish to see the aircraft that once served on Southeast Asia’s first and only aircraft carrier, feel free to come and visit the Royal Thai Air Force Museum in Thailand!
References:
Royal Thai Navy - ประวัติความเป็นมาของกองเรือบรรทุกเฮลิคอปเตอร์
Royal Thai Navy - อากาศนาวีในอดีต
Thaifighterclub - กาลครั้งหนึ่ง กับ AV-8 S Harrier ในปี พ.ศ… | Facebook
New Suggestion for the ปืนใหญ่เบากระสุนวิถีโค้งขนาด ๑๐๕ มิลลิเมตร อัตตาจร, ปบค 105 อัตตาจร (Puenyai Bao Krasunwithi Khong Khanat 105 millimeters Attajhon, English: 105 mm Self-propelled Light Artillery)) …
Added to the List of suggestions for Thailand
Still whish we hand any good info on if it ever might of carried the flair pod found on the American harrier. Otherwise we would have to pray for a balance decision from gajjin
The RTAF had the AV-8S Matador variant which was just an export variant of the first gen Harriers, so I dont think they had the flair pods that would be found on the second gen American Harriers. Not sure though.
Found more pics regards to the Thai AC-47D Gunships, they got a bunch of hand me downs from the US. It would seem some airframes retained the 7.62 miniguns while some airframes had one of the weapons replaced with a twin .50 cals but none retained the door 20mm minigun from what I can see. Apparently though there were some who had the twin .50 cals but instead of a 7.62 minigun, it had a 20mm Madsen.
Anyways heres a Spanish AV-8S and a Thai AV-8S side by side as a bonus
Well the AV-8A is first gen right? And was still able to mount the flair pod
Theres this private startup in the Philippines that developed this nifty little guy with 70mm guided/unguided rockets as an armament.
Its the Anos Charlie Cruiser. Not actually sure if thats just a mockup armament or its a functional one. Details are scarce and it looks like it didnt get to acquire more funding from the govt to further develop the prototype.
Does Thailand have a similar vehicle like this one?
EDIT:
While I got you guys here, do you guys know what is this mounted on Thai MUV4s? Im sure its a grenade launcher but is it the same one mounted on US Humvees? Its from the recent Thai-Myanmar Border Conflict.
That not Rocket pot that 20lb Bomb pipe to drop from side of the helicopter
Quite similar to MADS, but there are differences by installing 12 20-pound bomb launch tubes inside the helicopter’s cabin and also installing a Target sight to drop bombs in the co-pilot position. (Unfortunately I couldn’t find a picture.)
From use in air attack missions to support the Army’s forces fighting with Communist terrorists in Thung Chang District, Nan Province and in Thoeng District, Chiang Rai Province And as far as the test results have ever been known, regarding the bomb, there will be problems with the accuracy of dropping the bomb because helicopters are different from airplanes in that they have a main rotor (Main Rotor) on top of the machine. When the bomb is released, the wind from the main propeller blows downward. Will blow the bomb away and fall in an area outside the target. Makes it unable to damage the target. And the helicopter has a low speed, making it move in and out of the target more slowly, making it more likely to be hit by counter-fire easily. There is also a loud noise caused by the main propeller cutting through the air, making the enemy aware and able to predict the direction of the helicopter before flying in to attack.
In term of missile on wheelie there’s always TOW on humvee(or type-51 which is Thai made Humvee look-alike)
I suspect we won’t see anything newer than TOW until they finally get that SPIKE license deal.
//edit Apparently the deal did pass through, I guess we’ll see spike slap on various platform in time AAG_th บันทึกประจำวัน: Defense & Security 2023: DTI และ Rafael อิสราเอลจะร่วมผลิตอาวุธปล่อยนำวิถีตระกูล Spike ในไทย
Spike on DTI 8x8 would be interesting, and according to the article, The DTI’s employee(not official statement I guess) comment that they’re aiming to produce Spike-ER first in hundreds of units so vehicular mount is definitely on the card. Wonder if they’ll use it on Ah-6.
//Edit2 The grenade launcher look like Singaporean STK40 to me.
https://twitter.com/japanesepatrio6/status/1794104965339754679?s=19
Proposal for a ground launched AAM-4B on a Mega Cruiser
There havent really been discussions on potential avatars when Thailand finally comes as its full subtree but here are some that I think might be cool to be added [Ive added some supplementary pictures to provide more context on some]:
Thai Forward Air Guides in the 2nd Indochina War [Call Sign “Spotlight”]:
Thai Female Paratroopers ‘นภา ยอดยิ่ง’ (‘Napha Yodying’):
Thai Volunteer Force:
Royal Thai Army Combat Camera Col. Somsan Singhaseni
Thailand in WW2:
Too epic to not mention (Not necessarily Thai):
Can the AH-6i even mount the Spike ATGM? Thailand is getting it brand new from Boeing right so it might just only be able to mount the TOW?
I don’t know if they intend to intend to integrate spike or is it possible to integrate at all but the current weapons included in the package are AGM-114R and APKWS tho I think It’d be an interesting option for the army to have F&F missile available too.
