Thai military teams up with space agency for ‘eyes in the sky’
Thailand’s space agency will support the Royal Thai Armed Forces under a technology-sharing agreement announced on Monday.
Under the agreement, the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) will share surveillance and other data to enhance national security and support missions by the military, GISTDA spokesman Siam Lawawirojwong said.
The space agency will also boost skills among military personnel to protect Thailand’s interests over land, sea, air and space, he added.
GISTDA is currently developing the THEOS-2 satellite to replace its earlier-generation THEOS satellites.
Under the collaboration, the geo-informatics and space databases of both agencies will be linked. This will “create a seamless and more comprehensive network of information to benefit Thai people’s daily life, especially in natural disaster protection and mitigation, and surveillance to prevent insurgent attacks in strategic areas”, Siam said, referring to conflict in the deep South.
He explained that the Royal Thai Armed Forces was engaged in missions to defend against various threats, both domestic and foreign.
“These missions require constant support from other agencies, especially in high technology, to maintain the efficiency of our national security at international standards in an ever-changing world,” he said.
