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‘Not Out Of Reach’: F-35 Stealth Fighter Jets Most Lucrative Option For Royal Thai Air Force – Commander
By Ashish Dangwal – January 1, 2022
The Royal Thai Air Force is planning to purchase US-made F-35 stealth fighter jets along with Boeing Loyal Wingman to bolster its national defense.
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) is searching for a new fighter to replace its aging F-5 and F-16 aircraft, which is nearing the end of its service life.
Many countries are looking to buy stealth fighters to help bolster their defenses as contemporary warfare evolves. After Switzerland, Finland recently announced the purchase of 64 F-35A fighter jets at $9.5 billion to replace its aging combat planes.
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) commander-in-chief ACM Napadej Dhupatemiya said that the service needed new fighters since the F-5 and F-16 had been in service for more than three decades, resulting in higher maintenance costs and safety concerns, reports Bangkok Post.
The F-35 fighter planes, made by American firm Lockheed Martin, have emerged as an attractive option, now that costs have dropped to $82 million (2.7 billion baht) per plane, down from $142 million when the model originally came out, Dhupatemiya added.
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