GIVEN TODAY’S ECONOMIC circumstances which are quite far from concrete recovery, Thailand would be best suited with a planned procurement of cost-saving, upgraded combat aircraft in lieu of state-of-the-art, air-supremacy ones whilst a human factor should also be taken into account, according to a former fighter pilot.
Anudit Nakorntap, the former air force captain in charge of a squadron of fighters based at Wing 1 in Nakhon Ratchasima and one of the first pilots to fly the General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon jets, suggests the air force look for a squadron of cost-saving, upgraded fighters rather than sophisticated, air supremacy jets which he views as too costly, yet unnecessary for Thailand as far as the current geopolitical climate is concerned.
Though the Thai air force is reportedly having a choice of buying two certain types of modern combat aircraft, namely the Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70/72 fighter and Saab JAS 39E Gripen fighter, to replace the ageing squadrons of General Dynamics F-16A/B and F-16 ADF jets currently deployed at Wing 1 in Korat and Wing 4 in Nakhon Sawan as well as Northrop F-5TH Super Tigris jets at Wing 21 in Ubon Ratchathani, a third choice should be eventually taken into account, the former ace pilot suggests.
That the F-16 Block 70/72 jet reportedly sells at an average flyaway cost of US$63 million, compared to JAS 39E’s average flyaway cost of US$85 million should be undoubtedly considered too expensive for the Thai air force in the face of the country’s sustained economic slump.
Anudit recommends the top brass of the air force seriously consider the F-16 Block 52/60 instead since the second-hand jet is primarily designed to meet potential airborne threats and challenges which the Southeast Asian country may encounter at any given time.
As a matter of fact, Anudit points out, the F-16 Block 52/60 could be generally comparable to the F-16C/D currently deployed by the Singaporean air force. The F-16 Block 52/60 could be substantially upgraded with modern-day avionics and datalink systems adaptable to Thailand’s environment, thus saving a sizable sum of purchasing cost, otherwise allocated for the relatively sophisticated F-16 Block 70/72.
“We could probably buy as many as 18 F-16 Block 52/60 fighters, compared to no more than six F-16 Block 70/72 jets, with some 30 billion baht in funding for the air force,” the former fighter pilot says.
Though the F-16 Block 52/60 and F-16 Block 70/72 may vary in terms of air supremacy features and tactical manoeuvrability between the 3.5th-generation and the 4.5th-generation aircraft respectively, the former type can carry the same amount of payload and mostly have operational capabilities on par with the latter type.
The F-16 Block 52/60, primarily designed to serve a range of 15 to 20 years in service, should be compatible with Thailand’s current geopolitical climate and comparable to the JAS 39E Gripen fighter as well as those currently deployed by other Southeast Asian countries.
Nonetheless, the F-16 Block 70/72 may be considered for the time being and in foreseeable future as unnecessary in terms of air supremacy modes and tactical manoeuvrability, thus outperforming the Thai air force’s airborne defence requirements in exchange for a steep purchasing cost, the former ace fighter pilot comments.
For instance, the F-16 Block 70/72, fitted with an enlarged fuel tank, can fly a longer range than the F-16 Block 52/60 and carry nuclear warheads on its air-to-surface missiles – the characteristics ultimately unnecessary for the Thai air force.
Anudit strongly recommends the air force save a lot of budget, otherwise earmarked for the planned procurement of either the Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70/72 or Saab JAS 39E Gripen jets, and spend it more usefully on routine training of fighter pilots.
In the meantime, Anudit contends that Thailand needs no such thing as the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II multirole stealth fighter as far as today’s geopolitical environment is concerned.
“We could almost certainly be prone to international criticism for possible engagement in an otherwise avoidable arms race in the Southeast Asian region if the fifth-generation F-35A was ever procured by us for the time being or in near future,” Anudit says.
At any rate, Anudit points out, the Thai air force’s air defence requirements cannot be practically compared to those of the Singaporean air force especially when it comes to the procurement of the fifth-generation, state-of-the-art stealth fighter because, he says, the island republic, a major treaty ally of the United States, is invariably viewed as a regional strategic chokepoint where sophisticated, air-supremacy operational capabilities are quintessentially compelling.
Anudit made his comments amidst the unlikelihood for either the US government or US Congress to approve a possible purchase order for the F-35A by Thailand whilst Singapore has already placed purchase orders for 12 F-35As and eight F-35Bs with the latter being capable of doing short takeoffs and vertical landings.
The former ace fighter pilot suggests a large amount of the Thai air force’s budget, earmarked for the purchase of costly fighter jets, could otherwise cover the costs of increased hours of flight training for its fighter pilots attached to varied air force bases throughout the country.
Given the fact that he himself used to have as many as 200 hours of flying a fighter per year over the last couple of decades, the former ace pilot recommends one have an average of 150 to 200 hours of doing exactly what he did in a year. But if the air force procured either a dozen F-16 Block 70/72 or JAS 39E Gripen jets, each fighter pilot would consequently have a range of only 50 to 100 hours of flight training in a year.
CAPTIONS:
An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron takes off during a readiness exercise at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, on March 13, 2018. Photo: Nationalreview.com
First insert: Former air force captain Anudit Nakorntap. Photo: Matichon Weekly
F-16C/D Block 50+/52+ fighter, second insert, F-16CJ/DJ Block 50/52, third insert, and F-16E/F Block 60/62, Front Page. Photos published by Cybermodeler.com with second inserted photo taken by US Air Force Staff Sgt. Jonathan Snyder
Also read: F-35A stealth fighters land for the first time in Thailand
Couple of US air force F-35A fighters briefly visit Brunei
US F-35A fighters join Singapore’s F-15, F-16 jets in air exercise
Singapore buys eight F-35A fighters in addition to 12 F-35B jets
US cautions after Hawaii neighbour Kiribati gets Chinese police
Air force seeks 19 billion baht in funding for new fighters
US offers faster 4.5-generation F-16 fighter jets to Thailand
US puts off sale of F-35A fighters: Air force source
3 starboard torpedo tubes retrieved from sunken ship
Thaksin going on political roadshow in Chiang Mai: Ex-MP
Thai women tourism leaders set a global example for building peaceful, inclusive societies
3 Replies to “Feature: Thai air force’s fighter choices – why pay more?”