Thailand Has 50:50 Chance Of Procuring F-35 Fighters: Air Force Chief

[webfact]

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighters. Photo: Lockheed Martin, US Army

 

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

 

THAILAND CURRENTLY has a 50:50 chance of procuring a couple of US-made F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, commented air force chief ACM Alongkorn Wannarot today (Oct. 7).

 

ACM Alongkorn said the 50:50 chance of procuring the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II jets would more or less depend on an international political situation surrounding Thailand and the Southeast Asian community as well as world superpowers. The newly-named air force chief did not elaborate, however.

 

ACM Alongkorn said the air force has planned to buy the first couple of F-35A stealth fighters for a combined price of 7.38 billion baht with the use of its annual budget between fiscal 2023 and 2026.

 

Full story: https://thainewsroom.com/2022/10/07/thailand-has-5050-chance-of-procuring-f-35-fighters-air-force-chief/

 

-- © Copyright  THAI NEWSROOM 2022-10-08

 

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[Zaphod]

With the royal Thai Air force doing training with the Chinese Air force,  i don't see the US selling the F-35 to Thailand.

[RandiRona]

That is the exact chance I have in my pursuit of flying one..

 Keep your Hope's high Thailand!!!

[RichardColeman]

Wonder who gets the call sign 'Maverlick' ? 

[ezzra]

And i have a 50/50 chance of marrying miss universe, and why the Thai pilots don't train in the US as common sense dictate, also, with all due respect, do you think Thai pilots are good enough to fly such advanced machines i wonder?...

[2baht]

We've got you covered, no false moves, now!

 

[mikebell]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

a combined price of 7.38 billion baht

Some hefty commissions to be had here on this ludicrously unnecessary deal.  Who will Thailand be defending themselves against?  China are already invading from within.

[sammieuk1]

More chance of chucking in some nukes as well if you point them in the right direction general ????

[chalawaan]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

Wonder who gets the call sign 'Maverlick' ? 

I'm sure "iceman" won't be quite as popular, but you never know, meth tendrils stretch farther in Kalaland than anyone wants to think about. 

 

Fun fact: US Navy pilot Callsigns are almost always bestowed as a humiliating reminder of a bad screw-up or disciplinary issue in training or on early active duty. 

 

The callsign however, must be approved by the C/O and then it's with them for their Navy life. 

[seajae]

and china would have all the specs on them within th first month, Thailand cannot be trusted to not let china get at them and the US knows this fact, it is fanciful thinking at best, much better chance of Thailand finding rocking horse s**t

[bamnutsak]

Hopefully the odds of getting an engine are a bit higher.

 

 

[wwest5829]

4 hours ago, Zaphod said:

With the royal Thai Air force doing training with the Chinese Air force,  i don't see the US selling the F-35 to Thailand.

My vote as an American would be no for this reason. Sorry, but carrying on the traditional Thai fence straddling does not play well in this case.

[Rimmer]

A troll post has been removed

[Aussieroaming]

A 50 :50 chance of procuring an F-35! I doubt very much that the US will donate a used plane to add to their "new" fleet of used and donated trains and buses. Thailand can always ask for one without an engine to complement the engine less submarine.

 

50:50 chance to procure, 0% chance to be able to fly it.

 

 

[Iamfalang]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

50:50 chance of procuring a couple of US-made F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters,

America, if you are reading this, get me a Thai citizenship where I can also keep my American citizenship!!!!  Put this in the contract, or 50:50 goes to NO.

 

OK, I'll take 10 million baht to help negotiate with a couple Kraps and Kap Kap Kap.

 

Work Permit included, of course.

 

USA, USA......   Get mad other countries, Thailand doesn't want your paper airplanes!!!!!  lol

[malibukid]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

And i have a 50/50 chance of marrying miss universe, and why the Thai pilots don't train in the US as common sense dictate, also, with all due respect, do you think Thai pilots are good enough to fly such advanced machines i wonder?...

they should stick to Air Buses. have you seen the way the drive?

Edited October 8, 2022 by malibukid

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

THAILAND CURRENTLY has a 50:50 chance of procuring a couple of US-made F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, commented air force chief ACM Alongkorn Wannarot today (Oct. 7).

Spend the money more wisely on flood prevention... 

THAILAND DOES NOT NEED SUBMARINES OR F-35s

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, bamnutsak said:

Hopefully the odds of getting an engine are a bit higher.

 

 

Honda or Toyota?

[unblocktheplanet]

Sheesh, cancel the order! Do we really want our grandchildren to be paying for these. Ordered only for corruption. Oink, oink.

[worldexpress]

No soup for you!

 

It's amusing they are keep talking about it. They're completely detached from reality.

[bangon04]

So let them buy 50 per cent of an F-35 

No engine, no avionics, no weapons, the Chinese will provide all those, plus the Chinese will provide the pilots and the paint ......

[spidermike007]

They are looking to spend money Thailand does not have, and cannot afford, on a jet the US Air Force itself has labeled a failure. 

 

To say the F-35 has failed to deliver on its goals would be an understatement, it's mission capable rate is 69 percent, below the 80 percent benchmark set by the military. Just 36 percent of the F-35 fleet is available for dispatch, well below the required 50 percent standard. Problems include faster-than-expected engine wear, transparency delamination of the cockpit, and unspecified issues with the F-35’s power module. Former Air Force pilots have not been kind in their recent evaluations of the aircraft’s performance and capabilities.

 

https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/320295-the-us-air-force-quietly-admits-the-f-35-is-a-failure#:~:text=The Air Force has announced,of staff General Charles Q.

[Pattaya Spotter]

I don't think the US Treasury accepts durian and pineapple as payment.

[Mavideol]

50:50... in other words it's a yes or no question, humm sounds like a good bet 555

[Mavideol]

as somebody told me some time ago, they will get them "" when chickens have teeth""  555

 

 

[billd766]

I have a better chance of getting one using my KBank debit card.

 

I must admit I am a few million USD short of the target price but I am sure that a Go Fund Me account may help. ????

[steven100]

15 minutes ago, billd766 said:

I have a better chance of getting one using my KBank debit card.

 

I must admit I am a few million USD short of the target price but I am sure that a Go Fund Me account may help. ????

if you do a Go Fund Me I'll send over a couple of thousand baht.

[vandeventer]

On 10/8/2022 at 10:51 AM, hotchilli said:

Spend the money more wisely on flood prevention... 

THAILAND DOES NOT NEED SUBMARINES OR F-35s

If you buy F-16's instead you can buy more. Also Chine would not be so friendly with us

 

[billd766]

4 hours ago, steven100 said:

if you do a Go Fund Me I'll send over a couple of thousand baht.

Could you please send it anyway.????

[Damrongsak]

On 10/8/2022 at 10:51 AM, hotchilli said:

Spend the money more wisely on flood prevention... 

THAILAND DOES NOT NEED SUBMARINES OR F-35s

They should try to get lessons on flying the F-35. Don't buy the planes, just pay for lessons. Of course, insurance would be very $$$.  But no  worries about technology transfer, unless they land in China.