Navy frigate hits dock causing minor damage
HTMS Naresuan suffered damage to its torpedo launching pad and life raft after accidentally hitting the dock at Map Ta Phut Industrial Port in Rayong province during a safety exercise on July 26, the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) announced on Tuesday.
No crew member of the modified type 053 frigate was injured in the accident, which also caused a minor scratch on the ship’s port side, RTN spokesman Adm Pokkrong Monthatphalin said,
Pokkrong added that the exercise was part of the “Naval Security Port and Ship Map Ta Phut Exercise 2023" (NASMEX 2023) campaign, held from July 25 to 27 as part of the port’s safety programme in compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code.
The training exercise aims to increase efficiency and readiness of the crew in responding to maritime threats and natural disasters, Pokkrong said. The campaign was joined by officials from the RTN and representatives of Map Ta Phut Industrial Port, local administrations, and related government agencies.
The RTN spokesman said the ship’s port side hit the dock at an angle as it was leaving the mooring, causing damage to a torpedo launching pad and a life raft.
The crew was not affected by the accident, said Pokkrong.
He said that the RTN has set up a committee to investigate the cause of the accident and evaluate the damage. Technicians have also started replacing the damaged equipment, he added.
Commissioned in 1995, the HTMS Naresuan (serial number FFG-421), is a modified version of the Chinese-made Type 053 frigate, designed by the RTN in cooperation with China and built by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation in Shanghai.
Her sister ship, HTMS Taksin was delivered in November 1995. The ships came in at 2 billion baht each, less than the 8 billion baht price tag for Western-built frigates.
The ships were named after former Kings of Siam: King Naresuan the Great of the Ayutthaya era (1555-1605) and King Taksin the Great of the Thonburi era (1734-1782), respectively.
