The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) wants to buy eight F-35 fighter jets in a bid to modernize its defense capabilities, according to reports.

The purchase of stealth fighter jets is necessary to update the service’s current fleet of F-5 and F-16 aircraft, some of which have been in use for more than 30 years, said Commander-in-Chief Marshal. in chief of the Air Napadej Dhupatemiya. Bangkok Post.

“We don’t need a full fleet of F-35s. We can only use eight to twelve and use drones to fly alongside the manned plane, ”Dhupatemiya told the newspaper. “This will reduce costs. It’s relatively new, but these technologies are likely to develop rapidly.

The RTAF is interested in Loyal Wingman operations, where unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with weapon systems are able to provide support to manned aircraft, the newspaper added.

Other recent purchases

The RTAF observation of stealth fighters is part of a larger modernization of the fleet.

In November, Kansas-based Textron Aviation Defense LLC announced that the service’s new fleet of Beechcraft T-6TH Texan II trainer aircraft was nearing end of production.

RTAF won a $ 162 million contract in October 2020 for a dozen T-6 military trainer aircraft, to be referred to as the Beechcraft AT-6TH in Thailand, as part of a plan to modernization underway to develop the Thai defense industry. The contract also includes ground training systems for pilots, a mission planning and debriefing system, spare parts and ground support equipment.

Last year, RTAF Air Chief Marshal Chanon Mungthanya traveled to Wichita, Kansas to fly the T-6.

“Flying the RTAF Beechcraft T-6TH Texan II from the historic hangar where the entire global fleet of T-6 aircraft is manufactured was a very memorable milestone,” said Mungthanya. “These aircraft will provide our students with a significant technological advantage in their transition to advanced attack and combat aircraft.”

The RTAF also announced last November the purchase of eight Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverines for $ 143 million, making Thailand the number one international customer for the U.S. Air Force’s light attack aircraft, Textron said.

Around the globe

Last year, Finland and Switzerland both announced that they had selected Lockheed Martin’s F-35A Lightning II as part of their air defense modernization. The United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Australia, Norway, Denmark and Canada are international partners of the F-35 program. The armies of Israel, Japan, South Korea, Poland, Belgium and Singapore also operate the F-35.

According to the aircraft manufacturer, more than 750 F-35 planes operate internationally from 30 bases and ships.