This article was originally published in the October 2006 issue of Armoury magazine. This reprint has been re-improved and edited, supplemented by some illustrations and arrangement, so as to share with fellow friends. Personally, I believe that "Ordnance" magazine is a professional and objective military magazine, and I recommend continuous subscription to enrich my military and political knowledge. Some of the older articles reprinted on it are mainly to let readers examine the past things and opinions from another and more unique perspective.
In the autumn of 2006, the Thai Army, which has always been unknown among the world's armed forces, became the focus of media attention. At 9 p.m. on September 19, the shadows of soldiers and military vehicles began to appear on the deserted streets of Bangkok. About 14 M41 light tanks then surrounded the government building. Soldiers set up barricades around the building. At Bangkok's main junctions, bridges and the gates of important institutions, American-made M41 tanks, M113 armored personnel carriers and military trucks are also being deployed.
Thai Army M41 light tank appeared on the street on the night of September 19, 2006
In the early hours of September 20, the Thai military claimed to have successfully taken control of government institutions, and Army Commander-in-Chief Somti took over state power. The lightning-fast military coup took the media by surprise. The coup d'état was so rapid that many journalists rushed to Thailand to cover only a few lace stories, such as military and civilian street parties.
On the street after the coup, Western female tourists wear tank helmets and lean on M41 light tanks.
As the coup gradually subsided, the protagonist of this coup, the Thai Army, gradually entered people's view. The Thai Army is divided into 4 military regions, each of which has a field force composed of 2~3 divisions and 1 army headquarters. The coup d'état was attended by the Bangkok-based 1st Military Region Force, which had three divisions covering the region from central Thailand to the central Kra Isthmus. The coup troops came from three provinces around Bangkok, and more than 1,000 officers and soldiers and hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles participated in the coup d'état. Among them, the most frequently photogenic is the M41 "Walker" light tank imported from the United States.
Thai Army soldiers and M41 light tanks guarding traffic arteries
M41 "Walker", from jungle warrior to coup vanguard
When it comes to the M41 tanks equipped by the Thai Army, it is a long story. The M41 is a light tank developed by the United States after World War II to replace the relatively old M24 Xiafei light tank. The original M41 went into production in 1951 and was named "Walker" in honor of Lieutenant General Walker of the U.S. Army who died in the Korean War. Because Walker himself was nicknamed "Fierce Dog", the M41 is often referred to as the "Walker Fierce Dog" light tank.
Lieutenant General Walker, U.S. Army. The M41 tank was named "Walker" in his honor.
In 1953, the newly commissioned M41 took part in several battles in the later stages of the Korean War. Although the U.S. military highly valued the M41's small size and power plant, the situation at that time had entered positional offensive and defensive warfare, and the battlefield was dominated by thick-skinned M26 "Pershing" and M46 "Patton" tanks, so although the M41 was suitable for fighting in mountainous hills, it was of little use in frontal combat.
The M41 tank weighs about 20 tons, and its main armament is a 76-mm tank gun with a reserve of 57 rounds, which can penetrate the front armor of the Soviet-made T-34 tank. Shortly after the M41 entered service, the Soviet Union introduced the T-54/55 medium tank, which frustrated the US military's attempt to counter the mainstream Soviet medium tank with light tanks. In the U.S. military sequence, the M41 is mainly used by armored division reconnaissance battalions and airborne units for reconnaissance, patrolling, airborne and combat enemy light tanks and armored vehicles. The total production of each M41 model is about 5,500 units. Most of the pre-production M41 was used to equip the US military, especially the US military in Europe. Later production was incorporated into the Reserve Force and the National Guard. In the 70s of the 20th century, the M41 light tank in the US army was gradually replaced by the M551 "Sheridan" light tank that can be directly airdropped. The replaced M41 was either scrapped or used as a target or offered to countries and regions with military cooperation with the United States.
M41 light tank with a turret installed. Although the M41 is a light tank, its strength cannot be underestimated, and it has been exported to 24 countries and regions.
According to statistics, since the end of the 50s of the 20th century, half of the total production of M41 tanks has been supplied to American allies. More than 24 countries and territories have received the M41 through direct or indirect military assistance programs. In the wars and conflicts in the Indochina Peninsula, the M41 can be seen in almost all battles.
In early 1965, the United States began supplying the M41 to the Panzer Forces of the "Republic of Vietnam". Its first major operation was in October 1965, when a battalion of 15 M41 tanks was involved in rescuing special forces besieged in the central highlands of Pleigou. The U.S. forces managed to break through the siege, but at the cost of 116 casualties. Since then, M41s have often been installed near cities and bases to defend government and military officials in case of possible insurgency. Subsequently, in response to guerrillas in Laos and Cambodia, the United States began supplying M41 to Thailand. These tanks were supplied through some of the relevant provisions of the Southeast Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO), mainly the M41A1 and M41A2.
However, after the 80s of the 20th century, the wars in Thailand's neighboring countries basically stopped. U.S.-aided M41s began to be diverted. The M41 can be seen in clashes with guerrillas in the "Parrot's Beak area" bordering Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, and in operations to suppress insurgency and stop crowd riots in cities. After the purchase of the American Singray light tanks, some of the M41s were transferred to reserve, but due to the insufficient number of Sturgeons, about 150 M41s continued to serve in the Army's front-line units. In both coups in Thailand in 1991 and 2006, the M41 was the main force of street coup troops.
In the Thai Army's armor sequence, there are hundreds of M48A5, M60, T69 and other medium tanks, but the M41 and M113 are the leading role in all coups. The main reason is that the M41 and M113 are lighter in weight and less damaging to the city. The Thai Army has not yet popularized the hanging of rubber tracks, and if heavy tanks are sent into the city, it will seriously damage the road surface and cause adverse social impact.
In the news photos of the coup d'état in September this year, although the tracks of the M41 are not glued, due to the low pressure on the ground, only some shallow marks are pressed, which will not affect traffic. At the same time, this military coup, like the usual coups in Thailand, was just an armed demonstration of two political forces, so the M41 took to the streets without fear that the other side would fire from the M60 or Type 69-II. The two sides put their respective guys on the street, and whoever has more tanks controls the situation. And the actual combat effectiveness of the tank is a secondary factor, precisely "the number of soldiers is not refined but many."
Thai armored force scan
Thailand is located in the core of the Indochina Peninsula, formerly known as Siam, its population, size and economic strength are important in South Asia, and it has always regarded itself as a "small regional power", so it also attaches great importance to the construction of armed forces. Although the Thai army lags behind small developed countries such as Singapore in terms of quality, it has the largest armored force in the region.
The Thai Army consists of 1 armored division, 1 light armored division, 2 mechanized infantry divisions, 7 infantry divisions, 1 artillery division and 2 special operations divisions. The Army's active standing strength is 180,000 men, with a reserve force of about 300,000 people. In addition to field troops, special covert and counterinsurgency units are deployed on the Thai border. These forces provide support and training to anti-government guerrillas fighting in Myanmar and Laos, and remotely command separatists on the Malaysian border.
Thai Army soldiers are being instructed by U.S. military instructors to familiarize themselves with the construction of the M41.
The Thai Army's tanks and armored vehicles are mainly made in the United States and China, with a small number of British and French products. As of 2005, the Thai Army's U.S.-style equipment includes 80 M60A3 main battle tanks, 55 M60A1 main battle tanks, 150 M48A5 Patton main battle tanks (some transferred to reserve), about 250 M41A1/A2/A3 light tanks (another 100 have been transferred to reserve), 100 Stingray light tanks, and 340 M113 armored personnel carriers.
The Thai Army is equipped with a Chinese-made VNC1 armored vehicle with the M48A5 in the background
These American-made armored vehicles are mainly products of the previous generation eliminated by the United States. For example, the recently purchased M60A3 main battle tank is actually a disposition after the US military retired in the 90s, while the M60A1, M48A5 and M41 are free aid from the United States to Thailand in the 70s. Although the "Stingray" is a light tank designed by the United States in the 80s, equipped with a 105mm low-recoil rifled gun and a more advanced fire control system, its armor is weak, expensive, and the failure rate is high, so it is rarely used by the Thai Army, and there are plans to transfer this batch of tanks to reserve recently. At the same time, the United States no longer produces parts for these decommissioned equipment, so Thailand is about to face the problem of maintenance difficulties.
The Thai Army's tactical inspection exercise "Stingray" light tank debuted, demonstrating fast driving and shooting.
According to Jane's International Defense Review, the Thai Army is equipped with Chinese-made tank armored vehicles including about 100 Type 69-II medium tanks, 20 Type 69-I medium tanks (transferred to reserve), and 1,400 Type 531 (531 is the factory name for the Type 63 armored vehicle) armored personnel carriers. In addition, in 2006, Thailand ordered an additional 133 551 (factory designation for Type 90 armored vehicles) wheeled armored personnel carriers from China to establish the first motorized rapid reaction force. Among these tank armored vehicles, the 69 series medium tanks are currently old, but still have some use value due to their low weight (combat weight of only 37 tons).
The Type 85 exported to Thailand is an improved version of the Type 63 (Type 531).
Chinese 551 wheeled armored personnel carrier
The Type 531 armored personnel carrier, which has up to 1,400 vehicles, is the main transport vehicle of the Thai Army's mechanized and motorized units. After more than 10 years of use, the Army has given a very high evaluation, believing that the engine and transmission system are still very reliable in the hot and humid environment of Thailand, and the steel hull and main armor are stronger than the American M113. At the same time, the 531 has amphibious combat capabilities, and can travel on water after simple preparation, and the speed of water travel is 6~8 km / h.
The ideal and reality of small country armies
Thailand's land borders are long, it borders many countries, and its territorial waters are currently disputed with its neighbors, so Thailand needs to develop its armed forces on both land and sea. Thailand, another developing country, was hit hard by the 1997 Southeast Asian economic crisis, and as a result, the building of its army was constrained in many ways.
Due to the continuous fiscal deficit, most of the Thai Army's renovation of old weapons and equipment has been delayed. When buying the M60A3, the United States offered to completely modernize it to the level of the Israeli "Super M60", but for economic reasons, Thailand put it into service with only a simple repair. And the M41 tank, which has been in service for almost 40 years, has not been modernized.
The armies of various countries and regions equipped with the M41 light tank have modernized it since the 70s. The Federal Republic of Germany converted it into the M41 GTI light tank in 1986; Taiwan transformed it into the M41D in the 90s, replaced the engine, and replaced it with a modern fire control system. According to Taiwan, the tank "has reached the level of digital operations." The M41 tanks equipped by Thailand are still at the level of the M41A3.
M41D light tank equipped by the Taiwanese Army
Thailand had intended to rebuild the Royal Army into a force consisting of 2 armoured divisions, 1 cavalry division, 4 mechanized infantry divisions and their support units, but this is still in the planning stage. The Thai Army's most recent arms purchase was the import of 133 551 transport vehicles from China, which was bartered for 66,000 tons of Gui Yuangan.
According to the British "Jane's Defense Weekly", at the request of the Thai Army, China North Industries Corporation specially designed the T-96T main battle tank (T is Thailand). The tank is an export version of the Type 96 tank, equipped with an advanced fire control system, composite armor and a 125mm smoothbore gun with automatic loader, it is a world-class 3rd generation main battle tank, and at the same time it is lightweight, with a total combat weight of no more than 42 tons (while the 2nd generation main battle tank M60A1 currently equipped by Thailand weighs 52 tons), suitable for fighting in the hilly terrain of Thailand.
Type 96 main battle tank
The M60A1 of the U.S. Marine Corps in the 1991 Gulf War was equipped with reactive armor and an M9 dozer blade
But the T-96T is quite expensive. Thailand hopes to exchange about 100 T-96T for the country's future armored forces, just like buying China's 85 series armored vehicles, but the arms order is still under negotiation.
Thailand's defence budget for 2005 was only $3.8 billion. Although the Thai Army has the ideal of dominating Southeast Asia, it is often difficult to achieve it in the face of reality.