The Defence Technology Institute (DTI), a Thai government organisation, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the UK security and defence company, Arturius International and local representative, GCS Group Corporation Company.
Under the terms of the MOA, a Counter Threat Centre of Excellence will be founded. Arturius will work with the DTI to analyse the threat landscape faced in Thailand, to develop policy and doctrine, and to assess training and technology needs.
The COE will integrate Counter Terror (CT), Counter Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) and Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) to build a common understanding and resistance strategies across all branches of Thai defence and law enforcement.
Pictured left to right are Ms Supadee Anantarangsri, Managing Director of GCS; Air Chief Marshal Preechaa Pradabmook (Ph.D), Director General of DTI; and Stuart Ball, CEO of Arturius.
Air Chief Marshal Preecha Pradabmook said: “The market value of UAS worldwide in 2020, cited by PricewaterhouseCoopers, will be as high as 4.4 trillion Baht, especially in the infrastructure sector. UAS can be the significant threat, the danger of which every country is aware. Without proper protection, UAS can impact on the security of Kingdom of Thailand, and can violate privacies of Thai people as a wole. DTI hopes that this cooperation with Arturius and GCS will lead to the advancement of various innovations and the awareness of the progress of science and technology in Thailand.”
The growing threats posed by attack and surveillance drones and unmanned aerial systems have driven C-UAS up the Thai government’s priority list, so the COE’s first department is tasked with identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities in that area.
The COE will deliver training and equipment instruction to Thai security personnel and do research and development into emerging counter threat technologies through close cooperation with military partners and leading academic institutions.
Stuart Ball, CEO of Arturius International, said “The Centre of Excellence will play an extremely important role in creating capability and devising responses to dynamic and evolving threats faced by Thailand and its neighbours. We are honoured to work with the DTI and cannot wait for Arturius to demonstrate the world leading experience, knowledge and technology we can deploy to enhance the safety and security of Thailand and its people.”
