Thai Air Force Affirms New Fighter Jets Are a ’Necessity’

[webfact]

File photo for reference only.

Source: Wikipedia

 

by Thammarat Thadaphrom

    

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Royal Thai Air Force has insisted on purchasing new fighter jets, saying the new fleet, which will replace the existing aircraft soon to be decommissioned, is needed to increase the country’s defense capabilities.

 

Royal Thai Air Force spokesperson Air Vice-Marshal Prapas Sornchaidee stated that it is the air force’s responsibility to maintain full readiness for the sake of national security. He stated that the air force is expected to follow the Defense Ministry’s national security and defense operation plan to also ensure sufficient capability in response to any threats.

 

Thailand’s fighter jet decommissioning process began in 2021 and is expected to be completed in 2031. The air force said the operation will see less than half the number of jets the country had previously by 2032, which is not enough to maintain air defense operations.

 

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According to Air Vice-Marshal Prapas, the air force also intends to purchase fifth-generation fighters with five core features: stealth, supercruise, sensor fusion, and super maneuverability, as well as avionics integration systems. These advanced fighter jets are also required for the air force’s security cooperation with other countries in the region, in addition to bolstering the nation’s air defense capabilities.

 

Separately, an air-force panel is investigating the Tuesday crash of an F-16 A-ADF fighter plane in Chaiyaphum’s Chaturat region. As the investigation proceeds, the agency is seeking assistance from the United States in data extraction.

 

The probe is anticipated to be completed in one week.

 

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-03-10

 

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[Bluespunk]

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

These advanced fighter jets are also required for the air force’s security cooperation with other countries in the region, in addition to bolstering

the ego of the air marshals.

 

Ooh, just look at my new shiny toy...

[Denim]

Bad news for Cambodia , Laos , Burma and Malaysia. 

 

Their secret plans to invade and conquer Thailand might have to be reviewed.

[MadMac]

Nothing wrong with planes, last time they did it wrong and purchased an aircraft carrier without. Kinda learning curve ????

[meechai]

14 minutes ago, webfact said:

Royal Thai Air Force spokesperson Air Vice-Marshal Prapas Sornchaidee stated that it is the air force’s responsibility to maintain full readiness for the sake of national security.

Against what? Nobody wants to invade Thailand.

What would the prize be?

 

Edited March 10, 2022 by meechai

[kotsak]

6 minutes ago, meechai said:

maintain full readiness for the sake of national security.

for the sake of their pocket lining more likely..

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

9 minutes ago, MadMac said:

Nothing wrong with planes, last time they did it wrong and purchased an aircraft carrier without

They bought reconditioned harriers from the Spanish for the carrier, which soon fell into disrepair. 

[smedly]

what the AF chiefs want is a budget 

 

they haven't a hope in hell acquiring F35's, 

[Snig27]

Just now, meechai said:

Against what? Nobody wants to invade Thailand.

What would the prize be?

Precisely. These are just being acquired for the a) vanity of it all, and b) for the inevitable massive financial spinoff for a select few Thais. 

Given the gutlessness of the Thai position on Ukraine, any invader would likely consider that Thailand would be a pushover. Its only military experience since WW2 has been a couple of skirmishes on the border; an embarrassing few years in Vietnam where, after a couple of failed ventures out, they really only ran a black market operation and stole off the USA at an industrial level; and attacking their own population. Plus, these would be dreadfully maintained as are current Thai flying machines, hence the multiple military air crashes each year and the % of Thai military aircraft that are unserviceable at any given time. 

The US is also not going to release these to such an unreliable ally anyway, so it's all academic. A fantasy by people who should have been retired years ago.. 

[Geoffggi]

The only country who possibly has desires on taking over Thailand is the CCP, they are currently trying the peaceful way of buying it, but if that fails who knows ...................

[Bagwain]

New planes are mostly fly by computer!

Maybe they will stay in the air a bit longer! ????

[mikebell]

43 minutes ago, webfact said:

to increase the country’s defense capabilities.

to increase the bank balances of the Airforce Chiefs.  Thailand has a super-inflated opinion of itself; it is a tin-pot banana republic that no-one wishes to invade. The only threat comes from the students which is why the pandemic restrictions are still in place.

[sammieuk1]

Will the planes be with or without engines it will be cheaper but less effective worth checking general  ????

[mtls2005]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

is needed to increase the country’s defense capabilities

So these will be used in about the only conflict thailand has seen in close to fifty years, against their own citizens protesting.

 

Seems like they could use a couple of rainmaking planes to strafe protesters?

 

 

 

 

Edited March 10, 2022 by mtls2005

[ThailandRyan]

9 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

Will the planes be with or without engines it will be cheaper but less effective worth checking general  ????

Glider Fighters would be my guess.....lol

[novacova]

A lot of ignorant replies here. National security is an imperative for all nations. Just take a look at history, it’s the future and it will happen again. I understand there are many pansies that view the world as they want it to be, rather than how it is, unfortunately. We live in a brutal world, though relatively peaceful during the past few decades. If you want to know how brutal things will be at some point in the future, then read up on some historical events of the past. Then you’ll understand how important it is to have as much national security as possible. 

[mtls2005]

5 minutes ago, novacova said:

Then you’ll understand how important it is to have as much national security as possible. 

Meh.

 

Thailand has "downed" more of its own jets than any "enemy". Heck, they've downed them all, for a 100% kill rate. That sounds like just the right amount of "national security"?

 

 

Now do the Gulf of Thailand. And the HTMS Chakri Naruebet.

 

 

8 minutes ago, novacova said:

read up on some historical events of the past

Feel free to share your reading list. ????

 

 

 

 

 

[ezzra]

I can imagine the Thai pilot munching on his fried bananas or coconut cream squares in one hand holding the F35 stick in the other...

[connda]

The problem from what I can tell is their decision to purchase the US F-35 which is the most expensive fighter jet on the planet. 
There are other choices that are significantly less expense and still can meet the defensive needs of the country. 

[ThailandRyan]

23 minutes ago, novacova said:

A lot of ignorant replies here. National security is an imperative for all nations. Just take a look at history, it’s the future and it will happen again. I understand there are many pansies that view the world as they want it to be, rather than how it is, unfortunately. We live in a brutal world, though relatively peaceful during the past few decades. If you want to know how brutal things will be at some point in the future, then read up on some historical events of the past. Then you’ll understand how important it is to have as much national security as possible. 

Historical events where Thailand laid down their arms or when they invaded Laos and Cambodia.....Thailand has never been anything more then a stepping of point.....please fill us in on the historical events involving Thailand and its military might...

[ThailandRyan]

4 minutes ago, connda said:

The problem from what I can tell is their decision to purchase the US F-35 which is the most expensive fighter jet on the planet. 
There are other choices that are significantly less expense and still can meet the defensive needs of the country. 

Like the hot air balloons they purchased?

 

https://www.cnet.com › news › thai-...
Thai war airship going over like a lead zeppelin - CNET

[Live Long and Prosper]

They have the wonderful Grippen already, why not consolidate. Duh, that would be to simple

[djayz]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

needed to increase the country’s defense capabilities

The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming! 

[Megasin1]

Strategically Thailand has no requirement for 5th generation fighters. Thailand and its neighbours do not possess modern technical military hardware, so there is no need. Larger nations with modern technical hardware would not be put off by 5 or 6 fighters so you have to consider their real purpose of thought. They either intend more aggressive actione against their immediate neighbours or another country has requested them so that they can copy them. As much as they bleat, personally I dont think they will be getting any. ????

[ThailandRyan]

F-35C

 

The Navy’s first stealth fighter and the world’s only 5th Generation, long-range stealth strike fighter designed and built explicitly for aircraft carrier operations. The F-35C is operated exclusively by the Department of the Navy.

 

Maybe they need them for that old aircraft carrier so the can out to sea and play war games...

[TropicalGuy]

3 hours ago, Denim said:

Bad news for Cambodia , Laos , Burma and Malaysia. 

 

Their secret plans to invade and conquer Thailand might have to be reviewed.

Yes. A country that has no enemies, nor is ever likely to, has zero need of any military. Consider Costa Rica model. 

[alien365]

4 hours ago, meechai said:

Against what? Nobody wants to invade Thailand.

What would the prize be?

 

The beautiful women of course.

[klauskunkel]

To: Air Vice-Marshal Prapas

So, what is the National Security reasoning in acquiring stealth fighters?

 

nevermind, because then I saw this:

3 hours ago, webfact said:

These advanced fighter jets are also required for the air force’s security cooperation with other countries in the region

basically, they wanna show off. Just like the wannbe hiso neighbor who bought a red plate Benz he can't afford...

[Dogmatix]

Would the US sell F-35s to Thailand. It is no longer a reliable ally or of any strategic importance and is now far too close to China and Russia.  The Germans have already refused to provide the engines for the Chinese subs to be sold to Thailand, although I have no idea why the Germans would have ever considered selling the engines to China for its own use, given its view that the entire South China Sea belongs to it.     

[TheFishman1]

If they buy new airplanes somebody in the government was making a big pay day and it’s far is Thailand Street in fighting they really laid down for the Japanese in World War II TIT