Security source refutes Hun Sen's remark on Cambodia's military performance
A source within the security agencies has refuted Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen's remark on the performance of Cambodia’s military, stating that it is likely an attempt to exert political pressure and bolster his image as a leader.
Regarding Hun Sen’s comment that Cambodia has weapons that can reach Bangkok, the source explained that such weapons would need a range of at least 200-300 kilometres.
The source clarified that the known and publicly disclosed land-based missile systems in Cambodia, such as the Chinese-made PHL-03 multiple rocket launcher, have a standard range of 70-130 km, with the upgraded AR-2 model reaching only around 150 km.
Other small-to-medium calibre rockets like Type-81, AS-1, and WS-1B have a range of less than 100 km.
The security source also pointed out that there is no evidence to suggest Cambodia possesses long-range missiles beyond 200 km, nor does it have short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. Furthermore, Cambodia lacks fighter aircraft capable of carrying long-range missiles due to the absence of a jet fighter fleet.
"Even smaller countries like Laos have Yak-130, but Cambodia does not even have weaponised unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)," the source remarked.
It was also noted that Cambodia's defence budget for 2024 is approximately US$550 million (20 billion baht), compared to Thailand's spending on just four Gripen E/F fighter jets, which cost around 19 billion baht — equivalent to Cambodia’s entire military budget for the year.
The Thai military, by contrast, operates a variety of advanced aircraft, including Gripen C/D, F-16 A/B eMLU, F-5TH, and T-50TH, with a combat range extending to Phnom Penh, equipped with precision-guided munitions like GBU-49, AIM-120 AMRAAM, and AGM-65 Maverick.
“The claim made by Hun Sen that Cambodia has weapons capable of attacking Bangkok, but has no intention of using them, holds no strategic weight, as there is no evidence of such capabilities, nor the necessary budget or infrastructure to develop them,” the source stated.
"It is therefore reasonable to assume that this remark is aimed at applying political pressure internally and enhancing his image as a leader, rather than representing a factual strategic reality," the source concluded.
