Even though the helm of the Royal Thai Air Force (Royal Thai Air Force/RTAF) has changed on October 1, 2022, namely from Marshal Naphadej Thupatemi to Marshal Alongkorn Wannarot, the two Thai Air Forces still have high hopes of being able to acquire the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jet. , making Thailand an air power equivalent to Singapore in Southeast Asia.
Quoted from thaipbsworld.com (25/11/2022), initially the White Elephant State Air Force hoped to buy eight units of the F-35A Lightining II, but now, only two units are realistic to buy.
Even that still leaves a number of challenges, from within the country, for example, the plan to buy the F-35 is met with resistance from the opposing camp. While from abroad, still have to wait for approval from Congress in Washington.
With the possibility of only being able to buy two units, Thailand will position itself as the country with the 'smallest' number of F-35 orders.
Thai Air Force Chief Marshal Alongkorn Wannarot said that his party still decided to acquire two F-35A fighter jets made by Lockheed Martin, despite resistance from the opposition. The number one person in the Thai Air Force said that the country is now waiting for a decision from the US Congress about whether sales to Thailand will be approved or not.
Even though they have great hopes of buying the F-35A, Wannarot admits that they are also worried and somewhat skeptical of the US Congress, because there will be concerns about the proliferation of US stealth technology. Moreover, Thailand adheres to a two-pronged policy for cooperation and procurement of defense equipment, apart from the US and the West, Thailand also has close ties with China.
Regardless, Thailand expects to get a response from the US regarding its planned purchase of F-35s, which is between January and July next year (2023). The Thai Air Force currently operates a fleet of aging F-16 Fighting Falcons, which will be decommissioned in the next few years.
Interestingly, the Thai Air Force emphasized that one F-35 fighter has the equivalent capability of three F-16 fighter jets. This is what he thinks is why the F-35 is worth buying as a replacement for the F-16.
While a decision from the US Congress will determine the fate of the Thai Air Force going forward, it was previously reported that the US had agreed to send a team to evaluate the ability of the Thai Air Force to operate and maintain the fifth generation fighter jet.
Alongkorn Wannarot stated that the Thai Air Force procurement plan had been well thought out, bearing in mind the limited budget that had to be managed efficiently, and that it could answer any questions from the public or political parties. He emphasized that the country was tightening its finances to fund the projects deemed most necessary, including fighter jets.
"We budgeted and cut spending in other areas to ensure the Air Force's budget is spent efficiently," said Wannarot. However, the decision to acquire the expensive F-35 fighter jets has become a problem in the country and has been opposed by the political opposition and the Thai people.
The Thai cabinet in principle approved the Thai Air Force's request to buy four F-35s for fiscal year 2023 for $415 million by January 2022. The proposal was defended by the Air Force's Air Force at the time, who said that America's aging fleet of F-5s and F-16s needed to be replaced. .
Along with the dynamics, the Thai Air Force has now cut its acquisition target to two F-35 fighter jets. The Budget Oversight Committee of the Thai Parliament approved a budget of US$14.7 million for fiscal year 2023 to facilitate the acquisition of two F-35s after making several budget adjustments due to the dismal economic outlook.
The Thai Air Force hopes to buy the F-35A variant for conventional take-off and landing. The acquisition of the stealth fighter will cost around US$207 million, and payments will be made in installments over four years. Meanwhile, Thailand's political opponents believe buying the F-35 is a waste of money, given the country's social and economic woes.
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