On December 22, 2025, the National Security Council (NSC) convened to discuss the discovery of drones flying in the area of Suvarnabhumi Airport, under the responsibility of Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (SET: AOT).
After the meeting, NSC members considered the significant incident concerning the infiltration of drones into critical locations, both at airports and border provinces. The meeting resolved on two main aspects: urgent measures and long-term measures.. This includes establishing measures for prevention, investigation, and anti-drone systems, to ensure close coordination and enhance operational efficiency.
Mr. Nuttanai Anuntarumporn, Chief Executive Officer of Interlink Telecom Public Company Limited (SET: ITEL), informed “Kaohoon” that the company has recently signed a 99-million-baht contract for a microwave communication system with the military, which is being deployed in multiple key missions.
Regarding growth opportunities in the defense industry, the company sees significant expansion potential, particularly in drone and anti-drone projects. These projects are part of the national defense plan, with a total budget framework exceeding THB 5.8 billion. The allocation of this budget is still pending a final decision from the government, with progress expected before the end of this year.
The drone and anti-drone projects are considered urgent tasks, especially in border areas, and are being integrated among the army, air force, and navy. However, the current status of the projects is still under government budget consideration and has not yet advanced to the official procurement proposal stage, as allocation must wait for relevant Cabinet resolutions regarding security matters.
ITEL is expected to participate in these projects as a System Integrator, responsible for importing equipment from overseas and integrating various technologies into a complete system to support diverse missions. The core technologies are divided into two parts: 1) Drones, which include several types such as surveillance drones, kamikaze drones, and drones for military logistics or cargo transport, and 2) Anti-drone systems, which comprise fixed installations, vehicle-mounted, and manpack systems, each with unique technical specifications.
Simultaneously, ITEL continues to push for government projects and has submitted bids for all five zones in the USO Phase 3 project, with results pending. Clarity on this is expected late this year or early next. As for satellite-related projects, Mr. Nuttanai stated that ITEL usually collaborates with Thaicom Public Company Limited (SET: THCOM) as a supplier. However, for this tender, THCOM has also placed a direct bid, but ITEL remains confident it will secure contracts in some areas.
For long-term growth strategy, ITEL is focusing on the Data Center market and hyperscaler clients by positioning itself as a provider of high-speed network connectivity between data centers both domestically and internationally. The targeted customers are global-scale cloud service and data center providers, such as Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.
The company’s vision is to become a regional leader in Data Center connectivity, emphasizing the integration of data centers in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, to accommodate the rapidly growing digital and cloud demand in Southeast Asia.
Regarding next year’s performance outlook, the company anticipates significant growth, targeting revenue of THB 3.5–3.7 billion or a growth rate of about 10–15%, and expects profits to return to a stable level. This will be supported by the resolution of budget delays, capital increases enhancing liquidity, and ongoing support from international partners facilitating business expansion.
