The vehicle was jointly developed by local researchers at universities, a private company and the Defence Ministry with support from the National Innovation Agency.

After more than two years of development, they have come up with the first prototype of a light armoured vehicle which can reportedly resist the high-powered armour-piercing ammunition from an M16 or an AK-47 assault rifle.

The project, valued at Bt6.9 million, is a part of collaboration between the Science Ministry and the Defence Ministry to utilise local innovation to develop technology for military purposes.

Science and Technology Minister Pravich Ratanapian said the project was intended to produce a light armoured vehicle not only for local use but also for export.

Normally the government has to spend almost Bt10 million to buy an armoured vehicle from abroad but with local development, the cost is halved.

Pravich said this would not only offer better economic value to the country but also help the Defence Ministry be more self-reliant as the maintenance could be done by local people, and importantly, at a lower cost.

Colonel Narongkorn Puttasongkarn, an academic specialist at the Defence Research and Development Office who is responsible for the overall project, said development had taken place in three stages.

The first was the vehicle's structural design. The office worked with researchers from King Mongkut's Institute of Technology North Bangkok and Thai-Thosakij Oupakorn to adapt a Mitsubishi Pajero's structure and engine for military patrol purposes.

Second, to make the vehicle bullet-proof, development of armoured material technology was involved. Narongkorn said a research team from Suranaree University of Technology assisted with ballistic shields by combining both synthetic and natural fibres as well as alumina to produce the lightest armour with the greatest strength.

Alumina is an aluminium oxide, a chemical compound of aluminium and oxygen. It is strong and heat resistant to more than 2,000 degrees Celsius.

In the process, small pieces of alumina are set, like a mosaic, to prevent penetration by ammunition. Since the ballistic shield is made from tiny alumina particles, it can better absorb the energy of a projectile than a bigger plate. At the back of the shield there is also a layer of fibre to not only absorb a bullet's energy, but also stop a projectile from passing through the shield.

The material, he said, had been developed to meet the standards of the US Justice Department's National Institute of Justice, which establishes minimum performance requirements and testing methods for ballistic-resistant protective materials.

Third, to increase the efficiency of the vehicle in patrolling tasks, the research team at the Defence Research and Development Office also developed what they call an automatic weapon station system. It is placed on top of the vehicle to allow vehicle team to scan their environment from within the vehicle.

By equipping the station with a video camera and an M60 gun, the soldiers can work using the camera. Pictures captured are sent to a computer monitor to allow the soldiers to see their surroundings with no need to step outside the vehicle. If they need to shoot someone, they can control the weapon from within the car through a computer-style joystick.

"This system will save soldiers' lives as they do their duty because everything can be controlled from inside," Narongkorn said.

A prototype of the armoured vehicle has been completed.

The Defence Ministry will then install its automatic weapon station system and conduct tests next month. It's hoped that this new armoured vehicle will help the ministry conduct patrols more effectively, especially in the South.

Pongpen Sutharoj

The Nation