T 91 Construction Project
During the state visit of His Majesty the King to Germany in 1960, His Majesty had the opportunity to tour a dockyard for the construction of patrol boats. After returning to Thailand, His Majesty mentioned that the Royal Thai Navy should build similar vessels. To carry out the royal initiation, the Royal Thai Navy assigned the Naval Dockyard to design and build a patrol vessel. During the construction, the naval officers in charge of the program received not only advice from His Majesty but also technical assistance from a team of foreign experts from a research and ship design testing institute assigned by His Majesty.
On 12 July 1967, His Majesty presided over the keel-laying ceremony of the T 91 patrol craft at the Naval Dockyard. On 9 May 1968, Her Majesty the Queen graciously presided over the launching ceremony for the patrol craft. Once completed, the T 91 was auspiciously commissioned on Her Majesty's birthday anniversary on 12 August 1967. Patrol boats of the T 91 class were the Royal Thai Navy's first patrol vessels built from royal initiatives.
The construction of patrol boat T 91 was regarded as the Royal Thai Navy's pioneer project for ship design and the adoption of new technology for indigenous shipbuilding. This required extensive research and development in order to meet with the royal and staff requirements.
Later in 1971 the Royal Thai Navy placed an order for two more patrol boats of the same class, T 92 and T93 with the Naval Dockyard. In 1980 the Royal Thai Navy constructed T 94, T 95, T 96, T 97 and T 98 respectively using the same prototype for class T 91 with a little modification at the hull for the improvement of main engines and generators.
On 16 February 1981, the Royal Thai Navy reclassified T 91 class as coastal patrol craft (PC). As a result of the construction of the T 91 class at the royal initiative, the Royal Thai Navy has accrued 9 patrol craft in service fitted with modern and effective gunnery and fire control system. These craft play vital roles in coastal patrols in Thai waters.
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