Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – According to relevant departments in Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia, a large military drone belonging to the Thai military crashed in Slokla commune, Seiche district, Banteay Meanchey province, at approximately 8:00 AM on December 21. Preliminary investigations indicate that the crash may not have been caused by a simple technical malfunction.
This is the second confirmed crash of a large Thai military drone in recent times. Previously, on the evening of December 18, a drone of the same model crashed in Poipet city, Banteay Meanchey province. It has been confirmed that both incidents involved the Dominator XP, a high-end unmanned combat platform currently in active service with the Thai military.
According to unofficial sources and publicly available information, the Dominator XP is a high-value, high-tech unmanned aerial vehicle system. The project's total investment exceeded US$57 million, with the following cost breakdown: approximately US$27 million from Israel, covering maintenance, spare parts supply, transportation, and operator training for the three drones; approximately US$30 million from Mexico, supplying multiple sets of high-end technology systems; and approximately US$4 million in unit structural cost due to the use of high-value metal materials. A comprehensive assessment indicates that the total cost per drone is no less than US$10 million.
The Dominator XP is deployed in extremely limited numbers by the Thai military. Regarding the crash in Cambodia, the Thai authorities have not yet released any official statement on the specific cause of the accident, the nature of the mission, or subsequent arrangements.
