ABSTRACT
In addition to the “big four” arms-manufacturing countries of Asia (China, India, Japan, and South Korea), many other states in the Asia-Pacific region have attempted to manufacture their own arms, with varying degrees of effort and success. Nearly every large country in Southeast Asia produces some kind of arms. During the 1980s, for example, Thailand assembled German-designed trainer jets from imported kits, and it has constructed several small naval vessels over the years; most recently, the state-run firm Bangkok Dock finished the assembly of a British-designed offshore patrol vessel, HTMS Krabi. Thailand most consistently produces ammunition for its armed forces, along with mortars, rocket launchers, and 4x4 military vehicles.
