Army of Thailand takes delivery of the first local-made DTI-1 rocket launcher system 11502161

Defence & Security News - Thailand
 
Army of Thailand takes delivery of the first local-made DTI-1 rocket launcher system.
Thai army has take delivery of the first local-made DTI-1 rocket launcher system developed by the Defence Technology Institute during an handover ceremony at the Artillery Division in Lop Buri, Friday, February 12, 2016.
     
Thai army has take delivery of the first local-made DTI-1 rocket launcher system developped by the Defence Technology Institute during an handover ceremony at the Artillery Division in Lop Buri, Friday, February 12, 2016. The Thai-made DTI-1 rocket launcher (Source image Bangkok post)
     
At the ceremony, Defence Technology Institute (DTI) chief Sompong Mukdasakul gave a DTI-1 guided missile system to Royal Thai Army (RTA) chief of staff Phisit Sitthisan to be kept at the Artillery Division in Lop Buri.

In 2011, the DTI collaborated with China’s Ministry of Defence to conduct a research study on the development of DTI-1 rocket launchers, a military source said. The locally-developed weapon was produced two years later. The rockets were then modified into DTI-1 guided missiles.

A test firing of the DTI-1 guided missiles was carried out in China last year to determine their effectiveness, the source said.

The missiles travelled 150km when they were tested although they have a maximum range of 180km, the source added.

The Royal Thai army has ordered another three multiple rocket launchers, the source said, saying it plans to develop two more rocket launcher systems. Two factories will be built to produce rocket propellant with a total budget of 3 billion baht ($8,5 million) for the whole project, the source added.

The Thai Defence Technology Institute has developed two new types of mobile rocket launcher vehicle mounted on wheeled truck chassis using local-made 122mm rockets under the name of- DTI-1 and DTI-2 MLRS.

In September 2015, Thai Defence Technology Institute (Public Organization) or DTI of the Thailand's Ministry of Defense successfully test fired its 122 mm rocket. Test was conducted at the Royal Thai Navy's Phangnga Naval Base in Adaman sea and six rockets were fired from two test platform, the DTI-1 and DTI-2 launcher.