F-35A stealth fighters land for the first time in Thailand

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

FOUR UNITED STATES AIR FORCE’S F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets today (Mar. 7) landed for the first time in Thailand at Wing 1 in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima.

The first batch of four Lockheed Martin F-35As which flew from Eielson air force base in Alaska and landed smoothly at Wing 1 air force base will take part in a Cope Tiger 2024 air exercise between the Thai, US and Singaporean air forces on Mar. 18 and Mar. 19.

Another four F-35A jets of the US air force which will also participate in the joint air exercise are scheduled to arrive at Wing 1 at a later date, however.

The Cope Tiger 2024 air exercise will not only be conducted by Thai air force’s jets at Wing 1 but those at Wing 23 in Udon Thani with Thai air force helicopters from Wing 2 in Lopburi also taking part.

Participating in the tripartite air exercise are the Singaporean air force’s Boeing F-15SG Eagle fighters and Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Fighting Falcon jets as well as the Thai air force’s General Dynamics F-16A/B and F-16ADF Fighting Falcon jets from Wing 1 and from Wing 4 in Nakhon Sawan and Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet light attack planes from Wing 23.

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Top, below and Front Page: The four US air force F-35A stealth fighters reaching Thailand with a US air force pilot talking to a Thai air force pilot. Photos: Matichon