Thai navy commissions six patrol boats
The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) formally received six M21 patrol boats into service on 30 November. These will help replace ten aging patrol boats acquired via US military aid from 1968-76.
In 2013 the RTN received three other boats of the same type.
The RTN’s new patrol boats are built by Marsun, a local dockyard. They displace 45t, and are 21.4m long and can achieve a maximum speed of 30kt. Their range at full load displacement is 350nm at a cruising speed of 15kt. They type has good manoeuvrability and stability.
Armed with a Vektor GI-2 20mm machine gun
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Italy’s U212 Near Future Submarine production builds pace as upgrade plans mature]()
Italy’s U212 Near Future Submarine production builds pace as upgrade plans mature
Andrea Simone Pinna, OCCAR-EA combat system officer for the U212 NFS programme, outlined production progress, new capabilities and plans for the Italian Navy’s next-generation conventional submarine.
-
![Hormuz mines reopen the MCM capability question]()
Hormuz mines reopen the MCM capability question
The US-led mine clearance mission in the Strait of Hormuz is a reminder of the long-overdue reckoning among Western navies. With ageing fleets and uncrewed systems still maturing, the gap between rhetoric and investment is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
-
![Australia’s revised defence investment plan: what it means for naval warfare]()
Australia’s revised defence investment plan: what it means for naval warfare
The 2026 Integrated Investment Program allocates up to A$130 billion for undersea warfare, committing the Royal Australian Navy to nuclear-powered submarines, autonomous platforms and an expanded surface combatant fleet over the next decade.
