The Royal Thai Army has been granted a licence by the UK's BAE Systems to produce one of the world's best 105-millimetre artillery pieces.

The Defence Equipment Moderni-sation Agreement between the UK and the Thai government has made Thailand the first production base for the L119 light gun system in Southeast Asia.

The Army's Weapon Produc-tion Centre (WPC) in Lop Buri is the first production base outside the UK which is capable of delivering the LINAPS (Laser Inertial Navigation and Positioning System) technology with the L119 system.

  Gary Neasham, head of quality control at BAE's Land Systems division, said the WPC had become a qualified producer to compete against all other BAE-licensed producers of the L119 system worldwide.

  Neasham was speaking at a ceremony last Tuesday after a fire demonstration session featuring four locally made L119s at the Army's artillery centre in Lop Buri, after presenting a certificate of approval to the WPC.

The L119 system is one of the best 105mm artillery systems in the world and is used by the US Army under designation code M119, which is unusual in that the world's only superpower has commissioned an artillery piece produced by another country. 

In the fire demonstration at Phaholyothin Camp's firing range at Mount Phu Loan, all four L119 systems were said to have performed impressively in various types of firing mode and technique.

Under the UK-Thai Agreement, 22 L119 systems will eventually be commissioned into the 31st Artillery Battalion, which is attached to the 31st Infantry Regiment (Royal Guards) - the RTA's only airborne infantry unit and part of the RTA's rapid deployment force. 

A further 16 systems will be commissioned into the regiment by April next year. The first six L119 pieces were assembled, integrated and tested at the WPC during the experimental assembly and technology transfer sessions.

Neasham said the agreement would benefit both Thailand and the UK in terms of technology transfer and bilateral relations in addition to business.

Prospective buyers of the L119 system made in Thai-land would enjoy lower unit prices with advanced LINAPS technology provided, he said. 

There will also be a number of reciprocal programmes attributed to Thailand, including a counter commodity trade with certain African countries with mediation by the UK. Other reciprocal projects that have been implemented include charity programmes and defence programmes.

  BAE provided computer equipment and software for the Smart School project and helped build knock-down units for the National Housing Authority's low-cost housing project. 

On other defence projects, BAE has finished upgrading the 76mm cannon installed on UK-made Scorpion light tanks to British Army standard. 

A number of RTA ordnance officers are now studying the upgrade modification in the UK in order to upgrade the cannon attached to another 12 Scorpions now in service with the RTA.

Thasong Asvasena 

 The Nation