The Thai Government Office has agreed to the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) in the acquisition of the first four F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters, a spokesman for the institution confirmed this Wednesday (12).
According to Reuters, the cabinet agreed on the budget for a four-year period starting in fiscal year 2023, which begins in October, Air Force spokesman Deputy Marshal Prapas Sornchaidee told reporters.
The RTAF wants to acquire a total of eight F-35 fighters to replace the F-16 ADF (Air Defense Fighter) Block 15. The older planes were decommissioned last year and were operated at Korat Air Base, 250 kilometers from the capital Bangkok .
Speaking to Bangkok Post even before today's official announcement, a government source said that "This resolution was reached at a cabinet meeting today [Tuesday] and the proposal was contained in a file which was stamped 'secret'."
Earlier this month, RTAF commander Napadej Dhupatemiya confirmed the Air Force's interest in the US stealth fighter, pointing out that the 5th Generation model is more modern and cheaper than its competitor, the Saab Gripen E.
Napadej said the F-35 has emerged as the best option now that costs have come down. While the Gripen (acquired by the air forces of Brazil and Sweden) has a unit acquisition cost of US$ 85 million, the F-35 can be purchased for US$ 82 million. When it hit the market, the F-35 cost $142 million.
The military also said that, depending on the negotiations, the F-35 can be acquired for just over US$ 70 million per unit. The US Government is working with Lockheed Martin to reduce the amount to $77.9 million this year. The Thai Air Force has operated 11 JAS-39C/D Gripen fighters for over 10 years. In addition to these, the organization has 51 F-16A/B, 33 F-5E/F Tiger II and 18 Alpha Jet.
Despite Cabinet approval, the new RTAF fighter has yet to be chosen. In today's statement, Vice-Marshal Prapas said that the aircraft to be purchased will be chosen by two committees in charge of assessing the suitability of different fighters. In addition, the purchase must be approved by the Department of State, Department of Defense and the United States Congress.
