Krabi's 76 mm gun deters peer patrol ships

The Thai Krabi class is a step above a minimally armed maritime-security OPV. Krabi entered service in 2013, while the 2019 ceremony for Prachuap Khiri Khan appears to have been a commissioning even though reports described it as a launch. Its OTO Melara 76 mm gun, two 30 mm guns, machine guns, and helicopter-capable deck support a more demanding border-security mission. Against another patrol vessel or coast-guard cutter, the main gun creates a deterrent because both ships remain vulnerable to a destructive exchange. The 76 mm weapon changes the balance against peers, but one such gun is unlikely to make much difference against a missile-armed or substantially heavier opponent.