After South Korea and Japan acquired the F-35, Thailand is reportedly also starting to look at the world's best stealth fighter jet. The news of the acquisition of the F-35 stealth fighter jet came after the Chief of the Thai Air Force Marshal Napadej Dhupatemiya expressed his interest in buying eight F-35 fighters from Lockheed Martin.
According to data from the Eurasian Times, the Thai government is known to have approved the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) plan for the procurement of new fighter aircraft to replace the old fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16A/B Fighting Falcons.
An air force spokeswoman said the cabinet had approved a proposal to acquire four warplanes from next fiscal year, with a budget of 13.8 billion baht (415 million US dollars) set aside for purchases.
Meanwhile, Air Force spokesman Air Marshal Prapas Sornchaidee told reporters that the government wants to replace some of the country's older F-16 fighters. The main possible candidate is the US's F-35 fighter.
According to Prapas, the type of aircraft to be purchased will be determined by two committees tasked with checking the suitability of the various aircraft.
"The Air Force will then draw up its procurement plan and is willing to answer all questions that may be asked regarding the project," Prapas said.
He stressed that there has been no decision on whether the fighter aircraft to be acquired is the F-35. The two committees tasked with determining which type of fighter is the most suitable for Thailand's acquisition strategy are still working on their assessment.
For information, Thailand currently has two squadrons of 35-year-old F-16s based in Nakhon Ratchasima and Nakhon Sawan provinces. Air Force Chief ACM Napadej Dhupatemiya has previously shown significant interest in the US-manufactured F-35 stealth fighter.
ACM Napadej said last month that the F-35 fighter jet, built by US defense firm Lockheed Martin, would be the best option. This is because the price of each plane has dropped significantly.
The first F-35A cost $221 million in 2007 but as production volumes and technological know-how increased, the price dropped to around $79 million. He previously stated that the Air Force does not need the entire fleet of F-35 fighters.
They may only be able to fly eight to twelve jets at a time, with the drone flying alongside the manned aircraft. The Thai Air Force, according to Napadej, not only buys new weapons but also wants to ensure the safety of the people and the country.
The US F-35 stealth multi-role fighter is the most sought-after supersonic stealth multi-role fighter designed to carry out air superiority and strike missions. It is reported that the US is currently developing the F-35.
About F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
The US F-35 stealthy, supersonic multi-role combat aircraft is the most sought-after stealthy, supersonic multi-role combat aircraft designed to execute both air superiority and strike missions. It is being developed by Lockheed Martin in collaboration with the US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, as well as program partners from NATO and US allies.
The fighter was designated the F-35 Lightning II in July 2006. The Joint Strike Fighter has three variants: F-35A, a conventional take-off and landing aircraft (CTOL); F-35B, short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL); and F-35C, a carrier variant (CV).
The JSF electro-optical system is a cooperative effort between Lockheed Martin Missile & Fire Control and Northrop Grumman Electronic Sensors and Systems. Along with the Northrop Grumman DAS (distributed aperture system) thermal imaging system, Lockheed Martin’s electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) enables long-range detection and precise aiming.
The wingbox section combines the wing and fuselage sections into one piece to save structural weight and assembly complexity. Sweep angles for the leading and trailing edges of the wing and tail are comparable to reduce radar signature.
