HTMS Chakri Naruebet

HTMS Chakri Naruebet in the South China Sea in 2001
History
Thailand
Name	Chakri Naruebet
Namesake	Sovereign of the Chakri Dynasty
Ordered	27 March 1992
Builder	Bazán, Ferrol, Spain
Cost	US$285 million (1993)[1]
Laid down	12 July 1994
Launched	20 January 1996
Commissioned	27 March 1997
Homeport	Sattahip Naval Base
Identification	911
Motto	Rule The Sky, Rule The Sea (ครองเวหา ครองนที)
Status	in active service
Badge
General characteristics
Type	Light aircraft carrier
Displacement	11,486 long tons (11,670 t) full load
Length	182.65 m (599 ft 3 in) (oa) 174.1 m (571 ft 2 in) (flight deck) 164.1 m (538 ft 5 in) (pp)
Beam	22.5 m (73 ft 10 in) (waterline) 30.5 m (100 ft 1 in) maximum
Draught	6.12 m (20 ft 1 in)
Propulsion	2 × GE LM2500 gas turbines providing 22,125 shp (16,499 kW) 2 × Bazán-MTU 16V1163 TB83 diesel engines providing 5,600 bhp (4,200 kW) 2 × shafts with 5-bladed propellers
Speed	25.5 knots (47.2 km/h; 29.3 mph) (maximum)
Range	10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Troops	Up to 675
Complement	62 officers 393 sailors 146 aircrew
Sensors and processing systems	Hughes SPS-52C air search radar, E/F band 2 × Kelvin-Hughes 1007 navigational radars
Electronic warfare & decoys	Decoys: 4 × SRBOC decoy launchers SLQ-32 towed decoy
Armament	2 × 0.5-inch machine guns 3 × sextuple Sadral launchers for Mistral surface-to-air missiles 4 x 20 x 139 mm Rheinmetall Mk 20 Rh-202 autocannons
Aircraft carried	6 Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopters 2 (+4) MH-60S Knighthawk Up to 14 additional helicopters when required
Aviation facilities	174.6-by-27.5-metre (573 by 90 ft) flight deck 12° ski-jump Hangar space for 10 aircraft

HTMS Chakri Naruebet (911) (Thai: เรือหลวงจักรีนฤเบศร, meaning 'Sovereign of the Chakri Dynasty', the Thai monarchy's ruling family)^[2][3] is the flagship of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), and Thailand's first and only aircraft carrier, although the RTN refers to her as an "Offshore Patrol Helicopter Carrier".^[4][5][6] Based on the Spanish Navy's Príncipe de Asturias design and constructed by Spanish shipbuilder Bazán, Chakri Naruebet was ordered in 1992, laid down in 1994, launched in 1996, and commissioned into the RTN in 1997. The ship is the smallest functioning aircraft carrier in the world.^[2]

The aircraft carrier was designed to operate an air group of V/STOL fighter aircraft and helicopters, and is fitted with an aircraft ski-jump. Initial intentions were to operate a mixed air group of ex-Spanish AV-8S Matador Harrier V/STOL aircraft^[7] and Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopters. However, by 1999 it was reported that only one Matador was operational due to parts, training, and fiscal limitations,^[7][8][9] although three Matadors were spotted on the ship during a show of force after the 29 January 2003 Phnom Penh riots in Cambodia. Her entire Harrier V/STOL jet fleet was removed from service in 2006.^[2] Although Chakri Naruebet was intended for patrols and force projection in Thai waters, a lack of funding brought on by the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis meant the carrier has spent most of her career docked at the Sattahip naval base.

Chakri Naruebet has been deployed on several disaster relief operations, including in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and in response to separate flooding incidents in late-2010 and early-2011.