Chaiseri Showcases 8x8 Armored Amphibious Vehicle for Thai Marines at Navy Research 2024.

On July 31, 2024, the Royal Thai Navy Auditorium in Bangkok Yai was the venue for the Navy Research 2024 exhibition, a major event organized by the Naval Research and Development Office (NRDO) of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN). During this event, Chaiseri Metal & Rubber Co. Ltd. showcased its new 8x8 Armoured Wheeled Amphibious Vehicle (AWAV), specially designed for the Royal Thai Marine Corps (RTMC). This model is scheduled for delivery to the Thai Navy in August 2024.
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Chaiseri 8X8 Armoured Amphibious Vehicle (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The presentation highlighted the technological advances of this vehicle, which has undergone a series of modifications since its first unveiling at the Defence & Security 2023 exhibition. Tested in various environments, including open sea maneuvers in the Sattahip district, Chonburi province, the AWAV demonstrated its robustness, remaining fully operational even during a storm in the Gulf of Thailand.

Technically, the AWAV stands out with its imposing dimensions—9.2 meters long, 3.1 meters wide, and 3 meters high—and a weight of 23.2 tons. It is powered by a 711 horsepower diesel engine, allowing for a maximum speed of 105 km/h on land and 10 km/h in water, with a combat range of 600 kilometers. Its transport capacity is also noteworthy, able to accommodate 11 soldiers plus 3 crew members (gunner, commander, and driver).

The vehicle's armament system includes a Guardian 1.5 remote weapon station from Escribano Mechanical and Engineering (EM&E) of Spain, equipped with a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, and a 76 mm smoke grenade launcher.

The funding for this ambitious project amounts to 448 million baht (approximately $12.9 million), with a unit cost per vehicle of 64 million baht (approximately $1.8 million). This acquisition reflects Thailand's ongoing commitment to developing and supporting its domestic defense industry, following previous projects such as those from Panus Assembly Co., Ltd. and Cho Thavee Public Company Limited, which have also supplied armored vehicles to the Thai Navy.

With this new addition to its fleet, the Royal Thai Marine Corps hopes to enhance its operational capabilities, particularly for amphibious operations, complementing other vehicles such as the AAV7A1 and the VN16 on the HTMS Angthong and HTMS Chang landing ships. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to modernize and strengthen the Thai armed forces in the region.