The Defence Minister is looking to spend 3.2 billion baht more on new fighter jets
On 1 August 2017, Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, the deputy junta head and Defence Minister, told the media before the weekly cabinet meeting that the Ministry will inform the cabinet about plans to spend 3.2 billion baht on four F-5 Mod fighter jets.
The procurement is the second phase of plans to upgrade the F-5 Mod jets of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), increasing the number to 14 in total over a three-year period from 2017 to 2020.
The first phase of the procurement was proposed in 2014.
Last month, the Ministry submitted a proposal to the cabinet to procure eight T-50TH fighter jets from South Korea for the RTAF. That deal will cost the country about 8.8 billion baht.
The Ministry argued that the new fighter jets will replace the already obsolete L-39 aircraft, adding that two years ago the cabinet approved Ministry’s proposal to buy a total of 16 T-50TH fighter jets over a three year period.
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