Thailand uses DP16 UAV to test-fire laser-guided bombs

A model of the DP16 UAV displayed at the Defense & Security show in Bangkok in August 2022. ATIL used the DP16 to test-fire laser-guided bombs on 13 July. (Janes/Amit Kalra)

Thailand's Aero Technology Industry Company Limited (ATIL), which is partly controlled by the state-owned Defence Technology Institute (DTI), has test-fired laser-guided bombs (LGBs) using its DP16 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

The test, announced by the DTI on 13 July, helped evaluate the strike capabilities of the DP16.

The DTI said two LGBs were launched from the DP16, which flew at a speed of 130 km/h to reach a target located at a distance of about 2 km. The LGBs were dropped from about 6,000 ft above the ground surface and took around 25 seconds to hit the target.

The DP16 has been built for combat support and can conduct armed attack; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); artillery fire calibration; battlefield damage assessment; and monitoring and patrol missions.

According to company specifications, the DP16 has a wingspan of 10 m, a length of 6 m, and a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 360 kg. The UAV has a maximum payload capacity of 80 kg, a speed of 180 km/h, and a cruising ceiling of 3,000–4,000 m.

The DP16 has an endurance of six hours with a full load and can be equipped with more than three rounds of LGBs at a time.

The DP16 was showcased at the Defense & Security show in Bangkok in August 2022 by ATIL alongside its other variants including the DP20 and DP20-A.