Royal Thai Navy joins nations using Evolved SeaSparrow Missile

The Royal Thai Navy has signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance with the U.S. government to purchase nine Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles for its two Naresuan frigates currently undergoing overhauls and upgrades. This LOA increases the total ESSM user community to 13 nations.

The Royal Thai ESSMs will be fired from an MK 41 eight-cell vertical launch system using an MK 25 Quad Pack canister. This capability will allow for up to 32 ESSMs on each ship.

"This agreement brings the enhanced kinematics of the ESSM to the Royal Thai Navy's inventory and provides unsurpassed defense against a new generation of threats," said Rick Nelson, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems' Naval and Area Mission Defense product line. "The addition of

the ESSM will provide the Royal Thai Navy an unmatched ship self-defense capability, as well as allowing the fleet to take advantage of future spiral evolutions of the missile."