Tapi-class corvette
1971 class of corvettes of the Royal Thai Navy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tapi-class corvettes are a class of two corvettes that were built for the Royal Thai Navy in the early 1970s.
_underway_in_the_Gulf_of_Siam,_in_1983.jpg)
Royal Thai NavyHTMS Tapi (5) in 1983 | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tapi class |
| Builders | American Shipbuilding Co / Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Co, both USA |
| Operators | Royal Thai Navy |
| Built | 1970–1974 |
| In commission | 1971–present |
| Completed | 2 |
| Active | 1 |
| Retired | 1 |
| General characteristics Following 1980s refit and rearmament[1] | |
| Type | Corvette |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 275 ft (83.8 m) |
| Beam | 33 ft (10.1 m) |
| Draft | 14 ft 1 in (4.3 m) (sonar dome) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 20 kn (23 mph; 37 km/h) |
| Range | 2,400 nmi (2,800 mi; 4,400 km) at 18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h) |
| Complement | 15 officers, 120 enlisted |
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Armament |
|
Design and construction
In 1969, Thailand ordered from the United States a single small PF 103-class frigate, of which four examples, the Bayandor class, had been built for Iran in the 1960s, with a second example being ordered in 1971. For procurement purposes, they were allocated the US Navy hull numbers PF 107 and PF 108.[2]
As built, single 3 inch/50 calibre Mk 34 automatic anti-aircraft guns were mounted fore and aft,[2] each capable of firing 6.8 kg (15 lb) shells to a range of 13,400 m (14,600 yd) at a rate of 45 rounds per minute,[3] backed up by a twin Bofors 40mm/L60 mount. Two triple Mark 32 torpedo tubes for anti-submarine torpedoes and a Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar comprised the ships' anti-submarine armament. AN/SPS-6 air-search radar and SQS-17 sonar comprised the ships' sensor suite.[2]
Operational history
The first ship, Tapi, was commissioned on 19 November 1971, with the second ship, Khirirat, following on 10 August 1974.[1] Both ships were modernised during the 1980s, with the US 3-inch guns being replaced by a rapid fire OTO Melara 76 mm gun forward, and a Bofors 40mm/70 gun aft, with two single 20 mm cannon replaced the existing twin Bofors mount. The obsolete Hedgehog was removed, and the ships were fitted with new radar and sonar systems.[2][1]
As of 2002, they were used for patrolling Thailand's Exclusive economic zone.[1]
Units
| Pennant number |
Name | Builder | Laid Down[4] | Launched[4] | Commissioned[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 (later 431) | Tapi | American SB Co, Toledo, Ohio | 1 April 1970 | 17 October 1970 | 1 November 1971 |
| 6 (later 432) | Khirirat | Norfolk SB | 18 February 1972 | 2 June 1973 | 10 August 1974 |
