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Thailand becomes first foreign customer of AT-6 light-attack aircraft


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Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, webfact said:

the first international customer of the light attack aircraft

To get the first customer to sign up to an expensive toy is always the most difficult for any sales team for many reasons.

I wonder therefore how big the brown envelope was to get that "Coveted" First Customer Award?

 

PS;  It would appear the Thailand is actually the First customer ever of the attack version as the USAF has only bought 3 samples of the AT-6E (electronics) version.

 

 

 

Edited by fangless
PS added
  • Like 1
Posted
2 hours ago, LomSak27 said:

And when has Thailand been in a serious regional conflict?! 

They make perfect sense if what you re doing is patrolling borders, seacoasts, interdicting unwanted border crossers, Rohingya boats, and fighting a low level insurgency. All of which Thailand is doing. 

So you are going to drop bombs and fire machine guns at them.

Personally I have no problems with them being used for reconnaissance but why the need for fire power.

Posted

Well, don't knock it chaps. The Wolverine took part in NATO exercises a while back and the USAF has also signed a contract. As I understand it, this aircraft is designed to replace older reconnaissance single engine aircraft (T series).

However, why Thailand should want them is debatable. 

  • Like 1
Posted
4 hours ago, bluebluewater said:

Good if you want to fly low and slow . . . .

Perfect for low flyovers over Bangkok, keeping the unruly below in place.

Posted
2 hours ago, LomSak27 said:

And when has Thailand been in a serious regional conflict?! 

They make perfect sense if what you re doing is patrolling borders, seacoasts, interdicting unwanted border crossers, Rohingya boats, and fighting a low level insurgency. All of which Thailand is doing. 

Quite so.  My only question is why 8?  Unless Royal Thai Airforce has sublimely efficient maintenance and aircrew only six will be available at any time.  I would have thought two or three times the number so they can have groups of four (three available for flight) at various air fields would have been more sensible.  Now that TG is slimming down, or perhaps even evaporating, there will be less competition for pilots.  (A nephew of my wife is a TG pilot.  When ging through flight training he was the only one new to flying, all the others had been pilots in the Royal Thai Airforce.)  

Posted
21 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

Well, don't knock it chaps. The Wolverine took part in NATO exercises a while back and the USAF has also signed a contract. As I understand it, this aircraft is designed to replace older reconnaissance single engine aircraft (T series).

However, why Thailand should want them is debatable. 

The old Ts were also used for ground attack - at least the T28, in a theatre just north of here.

  • Like 1
Posted
4 hours ago, LomSak27 said:

And when has Thailand been in a serious regional conflict?! 

They make perfect sense if what you re doing is patrolling borders, seacoasts, interdicting unwanted border crossers, Rohingya boats, and fighting a low level insurgency. All of which Thailand is doing. 

or to control your own citizens

 

Posted
2 hours ago, GreasyFingers said:

Personally I have no problems with them being used for reconnaissance but why the need for fire power.

You should talk to the Thai military about that. I understand they are very receptive to non Thai nationals thoughts & concerns. 

  • Haha 2
Posted
Quote

The old Ts were also used for ground attack - at least the T28, in a theatre just north of here.

Also the original T-6 Texans flown by Air America pilots in Laos markings 

used as an attack (Coin) aircraft 

  • Like 1
Posted

Basically, a good choice if you are interested in strafing drug caravans/dealers and illegal loggers or keeping watch over the borders for immigrants etc. as you can fly low and slow. Not really much use for anything else, and still have to be careful as a half-decent heavy machine would probably bring one down... turboprops are vulnerable like helicopters.

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