An F-35 Lightning II from the 35th Fighter Squadron  at Hill Air Force Base in Utah flies at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, on April 15, 2017. Photo: CNN

 

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

 

ONLY TWO OUT OF Thailand’s five wings might probably be operable at combat-ready level with upgraded fighter jets over the next 10 years, said an air force officer yesterday (August 2).

 

Only the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons jets currently deployed at Wing 4 in Nakhon Sawan and Saab JAS39 Gripen jets at Wing 7 in Surat Thani might remain actively operable over the next decade during which the other combat aircraft currently based elsewhere are scheduled to be gradually decommissioned, according to the air force officer who only spoke on condition of anonymity.

 

Those fighters scheduled to be decommissioned over the next 10 years  include the F-16s currently deployed at Wing 1 in Nakhon Ratchasima, Northrop F-5TH Super Tigris jets at Wing 21 in Ubon Ratchathani and Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet light attack jets at Wing 23 in Udon Thani.

 

Full story: https://thainewsroom.com/2022/08/02/only-2-out-of-5-air-force-wings-likely-operable-over-next-10-years/

 

-- © Copyright  THAI NEWSROOM 2022-08-03

 

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Thank heavens there are 3 submarines on the way, albiet without engines......The country is safe!

"The F-16 can be that “one airplane that can do a lot of low-end missions, and remarkably cheaper than a fifth-generation platform, and it can do them well,” he said. It can “satisfy an objective in the Middle East and a week later, fly [combat air patrol] over a point on the U.S., and do a homeland defense sortie. It’s pretty amazing. And do that at half … [the] operating cost of any other air platform we have out there.”

Nahom asserted that, “There’s a utility to that. That’s why you’re seeing the investment in the post-block, our latest-model F-16s. Because we think we can get another 18-20 years out of them.”

Lt. Gen. David S. Nahom, April 2022.

 

https://www.airforcemag.com/f-16s-to-serve-nearly-two-more-decades-replacement-choice-still-6-8-years-away/

 

 

Get the submarines as quickly as possible and put the order in for those F-35 fighter jets.

Thailand needs to build up it's military arsenal. 

Just now, steven100 said:

Get the submarines as quickly as possible and put the order in for those F-35 fighter jets.

Thailand needs to build up it's military arsenal. 

Don't forget to include the engines this time. 

And the threat is...?

 

Maybe better to buy more blue snowplows from Korea?

 

You know, to "manage" the local crowds.

 

 

16 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Don't forget to include the engines this time. 

No mister, engines are extra... i wonder how much Thailand ill get selling their old planes to antique's planes collectors...

No problem as they should simply go on board their aircraft carrier that has no planes either and all make paper planes and practice with them. That way they can crash them to their hearts content without costing the nation billions in unnecessary play things.

9 minutes ago, ezzra said:

No mister, engines are extra... i wonder how much Thailand ill get selling their old planes to antique's planes collectors...

What's the price of scrap metal?

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

Get the submarines as quickly as possible and put the order in for those F-35 fighter jets.

Thailand needs to build up it's military arsenal. 

Nonsense, the F35 is a 5th generation aircraft, with an advanced networking capability, hence totally unsuitable for a country of doubtful loyalty. And imagine a network of 2 aircraft ????.

 

IMHO F35 should be limited to NATO, the French should flog some of their Rafales second hand and make sure they can join the fight with their allies.

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

Get the submarines as quickly as possible and put the order in for those F-35 fighter jets.

Thailand needs to build up it's military arsenal. 

and you need to build more tolerance to the chemicals in your system.

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

Get the submarines as quickly as possible and put the order in for those F-35 fighter jets.

As the US has not offered F-35's for sale to Thailand, not an option. On the other hand why not a Chengdu J-20? A more realistic option for Thailand's Generals. Engines, of course, are extra  

8 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

Nonsense, the F35 is a 5th generation aircraft, with an advanced networking capability, hence totally unsuitable for a country of doubtful loyalty. And imagine a network of 2 aircraft ????.

 

IMHO F35 should be limited to NATO, the French should flog some of their Rafales second hand and make sure they can join the fight with their allies.

Maybe they'll sell Thailand the glider version of the F-35.

12 hours ago, steven100 said:

Get the submarines as quickly as possible and put the order in for those F-35 fighter jets.

Thailand needs to build up it's military arsenal. 

but the F35 gets rusty on the aircraft carrier, I heard......

2 hours ago, bangon04 said:

but the F35 gets rusty on the aircraft carrier, I heard......

well they have to buy a 44gal drum of WD-40 and spray them every year

Just hire Tom Cruise to fly this vinatge gear, he knows how to handle them

A country like Thailand certainly does not need the F35 fighter jet. If they bought the latest generation of the F16, they would 

be much better served.  The Chinese subs, are just to keep that branch of the Navy happy. I guess the Thai military

still needs all its toys to keep the many generals happy. I wonder just how the military spending in Thailand compares

with the militaries of Vietnam, or Malaysia?

Generals need their toys, otherwise, they feel left-out and start to plot...

On 8/3/2022 at 6:31 AM, 2baht said:

Thank heavens there are 3 submarines on the way, albiet without engines......The country is safe!

An aircraft carrier that sits in dock, subs without engines and now a possible F-35 purchase that will cost trillions sitting on the apron doing nothing.

Who is the threat?

5 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

An aircraft carrier that sits in dock, subs without engines and now a possible F-35 purchase that will cost trillions sitting on the apron doing nothing.

Who is the threat?

It's not about threats, it's about swill in the trough for the greedy snouts!

On 8/3/2022 at 7:46 AM, Boomer6969 said:

Nonsense, the F35 is a 5th generation aircraft, with an advanced networking capability, hence totally unsuitable for a country of doubtful loyalty. And imagine a network of 2 aircraft ????.

 

IMHO F35 should be limited to NATO, the French should flog some of their Rafales second hand and make sure they can join the fight with their allies.

They would be better off getting the latest Gripens as they already have the infrastructure to support them thereby saving lots of cash.

But of course the Muppets won't.

7 hours ago, hotchilli said:

An aircraft carrier that sits in dock, subs without engines and now a possible F-35 purchase that will cost trillions sitting on the apron doing nothing.

Who is the threat?

Don't forget the blimp!  As an ex-aerospace defense engineer, it will be like everything else, they won't spend the money to maintain them.  Went diving in Dec last year and ran across a young Thai lass who was quite interesting.  One of her gigs was to do non-destructive testing of various parts of Thai military aircraft such as engine fan blades and such.  She had quite the stories to tell and concurs that not enough maintenance leads to not enough aircraft available which leads to not enough air time for training which leads to... Gripen crash.

On 8/3/2022 at 6:50 AM, bamnutsak said:

And the threat is...?

 

Maybe better to buy more blue snowplows from Korea?

 

You know, to "manage" the local crowds.

 

 

Som Tam Green, It's People!

22 hours ago, edwinchester said:

Maybe they'll sell Thailand the glider version of the F-35.

Don't forget the 2km of bungee cord to launch them.

1 hour ago, DrPhibes said:

One of her gigs was to do non-destructive testing of various parts of Thai military aircraft such as engine fan blades and such.  She had quite the stories to tell and concurs that not enough maintenance leads to not enough aircraft available which leads to not enough air time for training which leads to... Gripen crash.

I had 33 years in aviation as an engineer... starting at age 16 as an apprentice with British Aerospace formerly B.A.C Hurn.

I can imagine the maintenance over here is minimal at best.

On 8/2/2022 at 4:40 PM, steven100 said:

Get the submarines as quickly as possible and put the order in for those F-35 fighter jets.

Thailand needs to build up it's military arsenal. 

Indeed. 

Can never have enough military infrastructure for the next general domestic uprising......and the one after that, etc.

On 8/4/2022 at 4:06 PM, hotchilli said:

I had 33 years in aviation as an engineer... starting at age 16 as an apprentice with British Aerospace formerly B.A.C Hurn.

I can imagine the maintenance over here is minimal at best.

Douglas, Hughes, Northrop, Raytheon (the most waste fraud and abuse, by far), then back to Northrop to finish up before leaving to be self-employed.