EM&E inks contract for 30 mm gun stations with Royal Thai Navy

The Sentinel 30 naval remote-controlled weapon station from EM&E Group, which has been selected for two of the Royal Thai Navy's T-994-class patrol craft. (EM&E Group)

Spanish defence systems company EM&E Group has secured a contract to supply the Royal Thai Navy with two units of its Sentinel 30 naval remote-controlled weapon station (RCWS).

In a 4 February statement to announce the contract, EM&E disclosed that the weapon stations will each be incorporated with a Mk44 Bushmaster II chain gun and an electro-optical system that will be used as a fire-control and target acquisition sensor.

Each weapon station will be equipped with two ammunition storage boxes that have a total capacity of 200 rounds, including programmable airburst ammunition in addition to standard 30 mm ordnance.

These weapon stations will be incorporated onboard the Royal Thai Navy's fourth and fifth T-994-class coastal patrol craft, both of which were commissioned by the service in September 2023.

The boats were built by Thai shipyard Marsun, and bear the pennant numbers 997 and 998 respectively.

In December 2022 the naval ordnance department of the Royal Thai Navy's central procurement centre released THB198 million (USD5.8 million) and THB70 million tender documents to procure remote weapon stations and optical fire-control systems for these vessels.

Earlier vessels in the T-994 class, which bear pennant numbers 994, 995, and 996, are equipped with the MSI-Defence Systems (MSI-DS) 30 mm gun system.

For more information, please seeT 994 class (COASTAL PATROL CRAFT) (PB) .