Thailand selects Thales to modernize the jetless HTMS Chakri Naruebet aircraft carrier.

Thales and UCS signed a contract on November 12, 2025 to install a new Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) on the Royal Thai Navy’s aircraft carrier HTMS Chakri Naruebet, to integrate a centralized control of propulsion, electrical power, auxiliary systems, and damage control.

On November 12, 2025, Thales announced a new agreement with Universal Communication Systems Co. Ltd. (UCS) to install a new Integrated Platform Management System on the Royal Thai Navy’s aircraft carrier HTMS Chakri Naruebet, the world's only carrier that operates without any fighter jets. Announced during the opening day of Defense and Security 2025 in Bangkok, the new IPMS will replace older platform controls with a unified architecture connecting propulsion, power generation, and damage control networks.
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The HTMS Chakri Naruebet remains the only active aircraft carrier worldwide operating solely with helicopters after its Harrier fighter jets were retired in 2006, after years of limited operation caused by spare parts shortages and maintenance difficulties. (Picture source: US Navy)

The agreement was formalized during the opening day of the Defense & Security 2025 exhibition in Bangkok and marks the first IPMS solution to be installed on a Royal Thai Navy vessel. The IPMS will serve as the ship’s central operational system, integrating propulsion, electrical, auxiliary, and damage-control systems into a single automated network. The modernization aims to improve operational safety, efficiency, and reliability by enabling real-time monitoring, automation, and decision-support functions. The project also strengthens the 55-year cooperation between Thales and the Royal Thai Navy, as over 80% of the Thai fleet currently operates Thales systems. The upgrade ensures that the 28-year-old flagship of the Royal Thai Navy will maintain its operational capacity and be able to meet contemporary maritime requirements more effectively.

The agreement defines that Thales will deliver the system’s software and hardware components, while UCS will act as the designated Key Industrial Partner (KIP), receiving full technological transfer and training for local maintenance and through-life support. This cooperation will enhance in-country sustainment capabilities, aligning with Thailand’s defense industrial goals and long-term self-reliance initiatives. The IPMS, designed to integrate with the ship’s combat, navigation, and training simulators, will give operators centralized control of propulsion, power generation, damage control, and auxiliary systems. The modular and scalable configuration will be customized to the ship’s specific architecture and large size. The solution will support real-time decision-making through automation and user-friendly interfaces while reducing unplanned downtime through condition-based maintenance. The initiative aims to strengthen operational effectiveness without requiring major crew expansion and reflects Thailand’s intent to retain its only carrier in service through modern engineering management systems.

An Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) is a distributed control and automation architecture that manages a ship’s platform systems such as propulsion, power generation and distribution, auxiliary equipment, and damage control, from centralized workstations. The system integrates sensors, actuators, and control logic into one interface for real-time status visualization and control. Remote terminal units (RTUs) are distributed across the vessel to collect data from machinery and transmit it to operator consoles through redundant fiber-optic networks, ensuring system survivability and data integrity. The IPMS allows operators to monitor and adjust power distribution, propulsion parameters, and auxiliary machinery while managing alarms and system states from the bridge or engine control room. On large vessels, it can process tens of thousands of input/output signals and integrate with other onboard systems such as training, navigation, and combat management networks. Its architecture supports reduced crew workload and increased operational resilience through advanced automation and integrated damage-control functions.

In addition to automation, the IPMS is designed to improve efficiency and survivability. Through centralization of propulsion, electrical power, ventilation, and safety functions, the system allows fast reconfiguration in emergencies such as fire or flooding. Distributed processing and redundant data loops ensure that no single point of failure compromises the vessel’s functionality. The inclusion of condition-based maintenance enables continuous monitoring of machinery wear, allowing predictive maintenance and reducing overall lifecycle costs. The IPMS’s open architecture and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components ensure compatibility with future systems, while its scalability permits adaptation to a wide range of vessel sizes, from patrol ships to aircraft carriers. This type of system is already used on major naval platforms worldwide, including corvettes, destroyers, and submarines, where it enhances damage-control response and reduces the need for large engineering crews. Its integration into HTMS Chakri Naruebet represents an important modernization milestone for Thailand’s naval engineering infrastructure.

The HTMS Chakri Naruebet (CVH-911) is Thailand’s first and only aircraft carrier and remains the smallest operational carrier in the world. Built by the Spanish shipbuilder Bazán and based on the Príncipe de Asturias design, it was ordered in 1992, launched in 1996, and commissioned on March 27, 1997. The vessel displaces 11,486 long tons at full load and measures 182.6 meters in length, 30.5 meters in maximum beam, and 6.12 meters in draught. It is powered by a combined diesel or gas (CODOG) propulsion system consisting of two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines providing 22,125 shaft horsepower and two Bazán-MTU 16V1163 TB83 diesel engines providing 5,600 brake horsepower, reaching a top speed of 25.5 knots. The ship’s range extends to 10,000 nautical miles at 12 knots, with accommodations for 62 officers, 393 sailors, and 146 aircrew, and capacity for 675 embarked troops. The ship’s armament includes four 20 mm Rheinmetall Mk 20 autocannons, three Sadral launchers for Mistral surface-to-air missiles, and two 12.7 mm machine guns. A 174.6-by-27.5-meter flight deck with a 12° ski-jump supports aviation operations.

The Chakri Naruebet is also the only active aircraft carrier in the world with no aircraft, although it was designed to operate a mixed air wing of nine AV-8S Matador V/STOL (vertical or short takeoff and landing) aircraft and six SH-60 Seahawk helicopters. The Matador jets, purchased secondhand from Spain and refurbished before delivery, were retired in 2006 due to a lack of spare parts, high maintenance costs, and limited operational use. Efforts to acquire British Sea Harrier FA2 aircraft were unsuccessful, leaving the ship without fixed-wing aircraft capability. Since then, Chakri Naruebet has primarily operated SH-60B Seahawk and MH-60S Knighthawk helicopters, as well as other rotary-wing aircraft such as Sea King and CH-47 Chinook, with capacity for up to 14 helicopters and hangar space for ten. In 2012, Saab upgraded the ship’s command and control systems, installing a 9LV Mk4 system and a Sea Giraffe AMB 3D radar to enable data-link connectivity with Thailand’s Gripen fighters, as demonstrated during a 2021 joint exercise with HTMS Naresuan and HTMS Taksin. The carrier’s current role emphasizes command, control, and helicopter support rather than air power projection.

Now, the HTMS Chakri Naruebet is designated by the Royal Thai Navy as an “Offshore Patrol Helicopter Carrier,” reflecting its shift from fixed-wing operations to maritime patrol, disaster relief, and support roles. Economic constraints following the 1997 Asian financial crisis reduced its operational tempo, limiting its activity to occasional training and humanitarian missions. The vessel has participated in multiple relief operations, including response efforts following Tropical Storm Linda in 1997, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and major flooding in 2010 and 2011. During these operations, it functioned as a mobile command post, medical facility, and helicopter base for supply and rescue missions. The ship’s hospital area includes an operating room, dental facilities, and 41 patient beds. Although the carrier often remains docked at Sattahip Naval Base, it continues to take part in exercises such as Cobra Gold, Guardian Sea, and CARAT. It also participates in fleet reviews and regional naval events, including the 2017 International Maritime Review in Singapore.

The absence of aircraft aboard Chakri Naruebet reflects both economic and technical constraints that have shaped its operational use. Without operational Harrier jets, the ship now focuses exclusively on helicopter-based missions, providing flexibility for search-and-rescue, troop transport, maritime patrol, and disaster response operations in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. Its design enables simultaneous operation of up to five helicopters, and it can withstand sea state 9 conditions with wave heights reaching 13.8 meters. The ship’s infrastructure, including two aircraft lifts capable of 20 tons each, remains in service, and the modernization of onboard systems through the new IPMS will enhance its functionality in its redefined role. By integrating advanced automation, real-time monitoring, and predictive maintenance capabilities, the IPMS upgrade will maintain HTMS Chakri Naruebet as an active asset within Thailand’s naval structure. The project consolidates Thales’s technical contribution with local industry involvement, ensuring that the Royal Thai Navy retains its flagship as a versatile platform for national defense and humanitarian operations.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.