The Ministry of Defence will allow the Royal Thai Navy to procure seven Israeli-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) worth over 4 billion baht.
A ministry source said Gen Worakiat Rattananont, the permanent secretary of defence, has signed a contract to procure seven Hermes 900 UAVs from Elbit Systems, an international defence electronics firm based in Israel.
The move has also been approved by the Comptroller General's Department.
Adm Somprasong Nilsamai, commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Navy, will sign the contract later to make it official, the source said.
The source said five companies from Turkey, China, US and Israel had proposed their UAVs to the navy during the procurement process.
One company each from Turkey and China offered three UAVs while the proposal from a firm in the United States did not pass the committee's approval process. A company from Israel offered five UAVs while the winning firm, also from Israel, said it could deliver seven.
The decision was based on which offer will ultimately advance the navy's capabilities, the source added.
Elbit System's Hermes 900 UAV boasts a range of high-performance sensors, allowing it to detect ground or maritime targets over a wide spectral range. It can be operated for up to 36 hours and the service ceiling is 30,000 feet (9,144 metres), said the source.
