|
HTMS ''Chakri Naruebet'' (Thai จักรีนฤเบศร, meaning "In honour of the Chakri Dynasty"〔) is the flagship of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), and Thailand's first and only aircraft carrier. Based on the Spanish Navy's design and constructed by Spanish shipbuilder Bazán, ''Chakri Naruebet'' was ordered in 1992, launched in 1996, and commissioned into the RTN in 1997. The aircraft carrier is designed to operate an air group of V/STOL fighter aircraft and helicopters, and is fitted with a ski-jump. Initial intentions were to operate a mixed air group of Matador V/STOL aircraft and Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopters. However, by 1999, only one Matador was operational, and the entire V/STOL fleet was removed from service in 2006. 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 much 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. Other than disaster relief, the carrier's few other departures from port are for a single training day per month, and transportation of the Royal Family of Thailand, leading to claims by some naval commentators that the ship is merely an oversized royal yacht.〔〔 ==Design== When Typhoon Gay hit Thailand in 1989, the Royal Thai Navy, as the main unit responsible for search and rescue missions, found that its ships and aircraft were unable to withstand the rough weather at sea.〔''Past'', Royal Thai Navy〕 Moreover, the Royal Thai Navy needed a new, high-technology ship to modernize its fleet.〔 The original plan was to acquire a 7,800 ton vessel from Bremer Vulcan, but the Thai government cancelled this contract on 22 July 1991.〔 A new contract for a larger warship to be constructed at Bazán's shipyard in Ferrol, Spain was signed by the Thai and Spanish governments on 27 March 1992.〔 The proposed vessel was based on the design of the Spanish Navy aircraft carrier , which in turn was based on the United States Navy's Sea Control Ship concept.〔〔 The design is formally referred to by the RTN as an "Offshore Patrol Helicopter Carrier".〔Pike (ed.), ''Chakri Naruebet''〕〔''Chakri Naruebet, Thailand'', naval-technology.com〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=The welcome ceremony of H.T.M.S.CHAKRI NARUEBET )〕 ''Chakri Naruebet'' is the smallest aircraft carrier in operation in the world. She displaces 11,486 tons at full load.〔 The carrier is long between perpendiculars, and overall.〔 She is wide at the waterline, with a maximum beam of , and a draught of .〔 The warship has a ship's company of 62 officers, 393 sailors, and 146 aircrew.〔 Up to 675 additional personnel can be transported, usually from the Royal Thai Marine Corps.〔〔 ''Chakri Naruebet'' is propelled by a combined diesel or gas (CODOG) system.〔 Each of the two, five-bladed propellers is connected to a Bazán-MTU 16V1163 TB83 diesel engine (providing , used for cruising speed), and a General Electric LM2500 gas turbine (providing , used to reach top speed for short periods).〔 ''Chakri Naruebet'' has a maximum speed of , although she can only reach with the diesels alone.〔 She has a maximum range of with a constant speed of , and at .〔Werthem (ed.), ''Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, p. 772〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「HTMS Chakri Naruebet」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|