BANGKOK -

Thailand is trying to buy F- 16 C/D fighters from the United States with a total budget of 45 billion baht (around 1.13 billion US dollars), said the Commander of Royal Thai Airforce.

The Thai airforce has contacted with F-16 producer Lockheed Martin Corp. and the two sides are studying detail conditions of the deal, the Thai airforce commander Air Chief Marshal Kongsak Wantana told Xinhua Saturday.

The F-16 C and F-16 D aircraft, which are the single- and two- place counterparts to the F-16 A/B, incorporate the latest cockpit control and display technology.

Purchase of the latest type of F-16 fighters is expected to upgrade the Thai airforce`s equipment to an international standard, said Kongsak.

This will improve the Thai airforce`s capability in multi-lateral military exercises and actions, he said.

The deal with a total value of 45 billion baht (1.13 billion dollars) will be conducted in the form of barter trade, with the Thai side paying in agriculture products.

The total budget will also cover the purchase of suitable missiles and maintenance fee, an anonymous airforce source told Xinhua.

Thailand has not yet decided the number of fighters to buy and the form of agriculture products to pay, said Kongsak.

Thai airforce is looking for high-capacity fighters, which are not too expensive to replace its decommissioned OV-10 fighters and the F-5 A/B jets to be decommissioned this year.

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Not too expensive?

F-16 Falcon Characteristics:

Primary Function: Multirole fighter.

Thrust: F-16C/D, 27,000 pounds(12,150 kilograms).

Length: 49 feet, 5 inches (14.8 meters).

Wingspan: 32 feet, 8 inches (9.8 meters).

Speed: 1,500 mph (Mach 2 at sea level).

Unit cost: F-16 C/D: $12.8 million.

But they are still cheaper than Mr. T's AirForce One, so I guess in a way they are inexpensive.

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The US-produced F-16 C/D, Sweden`s JAS 39 Gripen and the SU-30 jet by Russia have been all reportedly on the choice list of Thailand.

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btw,

How many of these:

does it take to buy one of these?:

Lets just hope the driving test is slightly harder than the car test!!!!!

Hmm... just doing some math here.

12.8 million dollars = 512 million baht.

Market chicken is 80 baht, so let's see... that's 6,400,000 chickens for one plane, give or take a roaster here and then.

Is that right?

Hmm... just doing some math here.

12.8 million dollars = 512 million baht.

Market chicken is 80 baht, so let's see... that's 6,400,000 chickens for one plane, give or take a roaster here and then.

Is that right?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So it's millions chickens we put our lives on for the national defence in this country!

For what we owe them, I hope next time we see an out break of bird flu we come up with a better way of treating them.

BTW what happend to the aircraft carrier Chakri Nareubet?

Last I heard there were only like 3 carrier-based aircrafts that are airworthy.

Maybe if they sell the carrier that would buy F-16s?

Edited June 13, 200521 yr by Nordlys