Thai Navy’s SeaFox Mine Disposal UUV to help Sunken Warship’s Recovery

The Royal Thai Navy deployed a remotely controlled SeaFox mine disposal vehicle to collect information about the state of the sunken corvette HTMS Sukhothai and help plan for its salvage.

The HTMS Sukhothai capsized in rough seas in the Gulf of Thailand on Sunday while it was on patrol about 37km off the nation’s southeastern coast. High waves that caused the accident had lessened since the sinking but were still high enough to endanger small boats.

Over 80 sailors serving on the corvette have been rescued and 23 were still missing.

A source told the Bangkok Post that navy commander-in-chief Adm Choengchai Chomchoengpaet ordered the Mine Squadron to deploy SeaFox. This UUV will map the exact position of HTMS Sukhothai on the seabed, and its condition.

The Sukhothai was built in Tacoma, Washington, in the United States and was commissioned in 1987. It is a midsized corvette, an armed vessel typically used for patrolling close to shore waters. It has a maximum displacement of 959 tonnes and a length of 76.8m.