Air force chief expects US to decide on sale of fighter jets to Thailand by mid-year
The Royal Thai Air Force will know by the middle of this year whether or not Washington will approve the sale of F-35A Lightning II fighter jets to Thailand, its Commander-in-Chief, ACM Alongkorn Wannarot.
Alongkorn said the air force was negotiating preparations for the purchase of the jets but the sale has yet to be approved by the US government. US officials are inspecting areas where the F-35A fleet will be stationed, he said.
“If everything goes according to the plan, I expect the deal will be cleared by the middle of the year,” Alongkorn said. He said the procurement was an internal matter for the air force, but expected the Foreign Ministry would assist in negotiations with the US government.
The jets are part of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II series of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft. Washington only approves their sale to close allies. In the Asia Pacific region, only Australia, Japan, South Korea and Singapore have been able to purchase F-35A jets.
Last month, Alongkorn said the Royal Thai Air Force had informed the US government that it wanted to buy F-35A aircraft to replace its ageing F-16s, which are nearing decommission. He said the planned procurement is part of the air force’s plan to modernise.
According to its latest “white paper” upgrades to equipment, including jets, are due this year.
Alongkorn said the air force is also considering the purchase of a new radar system to replace its current 10-year-old Erieye radar system. The Erieye is an Airborne Early Warning and Control System developed by Sweden’s Saab Electronic Defence Systems.
