Hanwha Ocean announced that it has been selected as the preferred negotiation partner for the Royal Thai Navy's next-generation frigate project on September 9.
This selection marks the beginning of discussions to finalize technical specifications and project scope before a formal contract is signed. Hanwha Ocean will engage in detailed negotiations with the Royal Thai Navy, with the final contract terms to be determined based on the outcomes of these discussions.
With this selection, Hanwha Ocean aims to strengthen its long-term maritime defense cooperation with Thailand while continuously expanding its business opportunities in the global surface ship market, particularly in Southeast Asia.
During the upcoming negotiations, the company plans to closely coordinate the specific conditions to ensure that both the Thai Navy and Hanwha Ocean are satisfied with the frigate, thereby maximizing the competitiveness and efficiency of Hanwha Ocean's shipbuilding capabilities.
Previously, the Royal Thai Navy announced a proposal of 16.73 billion baht (approximately $683 million) for the construction and integrated logistics support of one frigate.
In this project, global defense firms, including Hanwha Ocean, Spain, Singapore, and Turkey, competed for the contract. Hanwha Ocean was selected as the preferred partner based on its successful delivery of the first frigate, HTMS Bhumibol Adulyadej, to the Royal Thai Navy in 2018 and its accumulated shipbuilding expertise.
Additionally, the active support from the Ministry of National Defense, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and the Republic of Korea Navy contributed to this selection process. Ongoing defense exchanges, including bilateral talks, port calls by the Republic of Korea Navy's training squadron to Thailand, and the Cobra Gold joint exercises, have built trust between the two navies, serving as a foundation for advancing this project.
Meanwhile, the Royal Thai Navy plans to expand its current fleet of four high-performance frigates to eight by 2037, raising the potential for follow-up orders from Hanwha Ocean.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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