Thai Marines Formally Receive 8x8 AWAV Amphibious APC from Chaiseri, Thailand

23 September 2024

Formal delivering ceremony of AWAV (Armoured Wheeled Amphibious Vehicle) 8x8 at Royal Thai Marine Corps (RTMC) Headquarters in Sattahip District, Chonburi Province, Thailand on 20 September 2024 (photos: Sompong Nondhasa)

The ceremony to receive 7 AWAV (Armoured Wheeled Amphibious Vehicle) 8x8 armored vehicle types at the Royal Thai Marine Corps Headquarters (RTMC) in Sattahip District, Chonburi Province on 20 September 2024, presided over by Admiral Adung Phan-uem, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN).

It marks the official completion of the project since Chaiseri Metal & Rubber Co. Ltd., Thailand, the winner of the project to purchase 7 wheeled armored vehicles (8x8) of the type of personnel carrier by selection method, with a budget of 448,000,000 baht ($12,918,115) at a unit price of 64,000,000 baht ($1,845,445) per vehicle, announced on August 3, 2023.

The development, construction, testing and delivery of the AWAV 8x8 amphibious armoured personnel carrier was completed under the contract within about one year, which also saw its participation in the vehicle parade in the sunset ceremony to bid farewell to the Royal Thai Navy personnel who will retire on the same day.

According to media reports, a representative of Thai Chaiseri has revealed new information about the performance of the AWAV 8x8 amphibious armored vehicle, which can reach a speed of 13km/h while floating in water, higher than the specified requirement of 10km/h, and has a land range of 800km, higher than the specified 600km.

Guardian 1.5 RWS model from EM&E from Spain. In the test firing of the turret on every vehicle, the average accuracy rate of firing a 12.7 mm machine gun into the target is more than 90% (photo: Chaiseri via DefenseInfo)

Seven AWAV 8x8 amphibious wheeled armoured vehicles have been inducted into the Marine Assault Amphibian Vehicle Battalion, Marine Division to operate alongside the Chaiseri Thailand-developed AAV7A1 RAM/RS amphibious vehicles , with plans to upgrade to a total of 12 vehicles.

The latest delivered AWAV 8x8 is a personnel carrier version equipped with a Guardian 1.5 remote weapon station (RWS) from Spain's Escribano Mechanical and Engineering (EM&E) company, equipped with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun and a Chaiseri 76mm smoke grenade launcher. Thailand is also looking at opportunities to develop other models for export abroad, similar to its First Win 4x4 wheeled armoured vehicle.

(AAG)

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