Thai Armed Force Photo Gallery- RTAF:RTN:RTA:RTP

[Skyman]

Army required to clear doubt of auditor-general over APCs purchase first: Boonrawd


Defence Minister Gen Boonrawd Somtas insisted Tuesday that he will approve the purchase of 96 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) from Ukraine only after the Army could clear doubt of the Office of the Auditor-General.

Boonrawd said the office questioned the planned purchase in seven points so the Army must answer the office's questions first.

"The procurement must be first made clear. The Office of the Auditor-General must have its doubt cleared first. Once the office no longer has any doubt, I'll sign the purchase," Boonrawd said.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/brea...ewsid=30053486

[Skyman]

Our Gripen jet fighters compatible to Thai system - Sweden

Sweden assured Thailand on Friday that its Gripen jet fighters were compatible with existing Thai air defence systems that are based mainly on American design.

The 12 Swedish-made Gripen jets plus two Saab Erieye AEW (airborne early warning) aircraft - are also compatible with Nato air defence systems.

"Since the aircraft is Nato compatible, the Gripen can carry a greater variety of weapons from different countries - including America - that the Thai Air Force already has," Swedish Ambassador Lennart Linner told a press briefing.

The package offered includes the same antiship missiles used by Sweden, he added.

The Cabinet approved the air force's proposal to buy the Swedish jets for Bt43.3 billion at its meeting on October 16, despite a note from the United States questioning the decision to switch from USmade F16 A/B fighters.

The Gripen is the same size as the F16 but is more advanced in terms of technology, with far better radar, the ability to use other sources of weapons, a better engine and more advanced electronic equipment, said LtColonel Johan Tornqvist, military liaison officer at the Swedish embassy.

The Gripen is more modern than the Russianmade Sukhoi SU30 that the Thai Air Force was earlier interested in, he added.

Also, Sweden has offered a special full package - notably the "source code" - that will allow the air force to modify or update the fighters' systems in future by itself, he said.

Ambassador Linner said the Gripen was one of the most modern aircraft in the world today - a multirole aircraft capable of ground attack, sea attack and interception.

"This aircraft can do 80 to 90 per cent of what other aircraft such as the Russian SU30 can do, but at less than half the price," he said.

The aircraft is designed to land on very narrow and short runways - less than 500 metres - and can even land on an ordinary country road just 11 metres wide, he said, which would be useful if a main airbase was under attack.

It is still not clear when the purchase deal will be completed.

Linner expected the Gripens to arrive by the time the Thai Air Force decommissions the Vietnam Warera F5 E fighters - by 2011.

Thailand is the first country in Asia to buy the Gripen fighter jets. Sweden hopes to sell 126 Gripens to India, but faces competition from the US, Russia, France and the Eurofighter.

by Supalak G Khundee

http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/10/...s_30053918.php

[GiladS]

Recently read that Thailand will purchase 15,000 TAR-21s.

[Skyman]

Recently read that Thailand will purchase 15,000 TAR-21s.

Yes, 15,000 TAR-21s with Israeli machine gun.

[Skyman]

AIR FORCE / GRIPEN FIGHTER AIRCRAFT PROCUREMENT

Swedish envoy hopeful over deal
ACHARA ASHAYAGACHAT

Swedish Ambassador Lennart Linner, centre, holds a press briefing on the Thai government's planned purchase of Gripen jet fighters worth 35 billion baht at the embassy. He is accompanied by Lt-Col Johan Tornqvist, the Swedish armed forces' liaison officer, right. — APICHIT JINAKUL

Sweden's ambassador has expressed hopes that negotiations over the 35-billion-baht purchase of Gripen jet fighters can be concluded in months and not be amended when a new elected government takes office next year.

Ambassador Lennart Linner said yesterday that Sweden was happy with the Surayud cabinet's resolution on Oct 16 to start negotiations with Stockholm over the purchase of 12 Gripen jet fighters and two Saab Erieye airborne early warning aircraft.

''It is more than a [business] transaction, but an offer of Sweden's fourth-generation advanced fighters extended to a close friend Thailand, based on the long-term trust between the two nations,'' Mr Linner said.

Thailand's purchase, if it proceeds, would be the first for Sweden in Asia. Sweden is currently competing with the US, Russia and France in proposing a US$10 billion project for 126 jet fighters to India, which would become the world's largest purchase deal, he said.

''We hope it will not be cancelled. The Royal Thai Air Force has developed a sense of what Thailand needs and worked this out [with Sweden] over the past few years. That's why Sweden has come forward and made an offer,'' he said.

The ambassador described the air defence package as ''the best choice for Thailand as far as defence technologies and economic factors were concerned''.

As the deal was a government-to-government transaction with no commission involved, the negotiations could be done in an open and transparent manner, he added.

Johan Tornqvist, Swedish armed forces' liaison officer, added that the Gripen technology was Nato-compatible and therefore could carry a wide range of weaponry, including that from America and Britain.

The Gripen fighter has multi-role functions _ interception, ground and sea attack capabilities, said Lt-Col Tornqvist.

It can land on rough and short runways only 500 metres long and narrow runways 11 metres wide with a fast turnaround capacity, he added.

The Gripen jet fighters are currently used in intercepting and diverting airplanes across the Russian-Swedish border.

Previously, Gripen fighters have been sold to South Africa and leased to the Czech Republic and Hungary.

Sweden would also help set up a radar data-link communications for the Royal Thai Air Force, said Lt-Col Tornqvist, adding that the key factor was technology transfer with Swedish assistance to help Thailand develop software or update the software for a source code system.

He expected the Gripen jet fighters could be delivered in time for the Thai air force's plan to phase out its F5 aircraft by 2011.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/27Oct2007_news04.php

[GiladS]

Yes, 15,000 TAR-21s with Israeli machine gun.

I assume you are referring to the Negev.

[Skyman]

Vietnam praises Thai terror sentence


Hanoi - Vietnam welcomed a Thai court's jailing of a US citizen who attempted to bomb the Vietnamese embassy in Bangkok six years ago.


"Vietnam welcomes the Bangkok criminal court's verdict," foreign ministry spokesperson Le Dung said in a statement released by the communist party daily Nhan Dan and the official Vietnam News Agency on Saturday.


"The judgment was in accordance with Thailand's laws, international laws and international efforts to combat criminals and terrorists," he added.


Vietnam-born Vo Duc Van was sentenced to 12 years on Friday, for illegal possession of explosives and conspiring to bomb after his 2001 attack on the embassy, which he said was a protest against Vietnam's communist government.


He planted one small bomb outside the embassy walls and threw a second into the compound.


The bombs were wired to a cell-phone detonator but failed to explode when the device was triggered.


The 48-year-old man was arrested in 2001 as he stepped off a plane in the US and extradited to Thailand in December 2006.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_....php?id=123030

[Skyman]

I assume you are referring to the Negev.

Aha yes, Nagev.

[Skyman]

I rather delete it

[jklv]

This qustion might sound dumb, but since I trained for 5 months...Do soldiers in this army get Muay Thai lessons?

[Skyman]

This qustion might sound dumb, but since I trained for 5 months...Do soldiers in this army get Muay Thai lessons?

That's a good question.

Yes, they do train Muay Thai. But not as hard as the professional Mual Thai Boxer in Lumpini stadium. Armed force alway give some basic Muay Thai training course to US personal when they come here for Cobra Gold or Cope Tiger exercise.

[Skyman]

Thai Cabinet Approves Defense Equipment Buys

By WENDELL MINNICK


TAIPEI — Thailand’s Cabinet has approved a $242 million arms purchase that includes Israeli small arms, Ukrainian armored personnel vehicles and Chinese missiles.

The shopping list includes:
? 15,000 rifles, $34 million.
? 992 submachine guns, $9.3 million.
? 96 BTR-3E1 armored personnel vehicles built by state-owned Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau, $141 million.
? An unspecified number of an unspecified model of ground-to-ground missiles, $58 million.

In 1990, Thailand bought 50 Chinese C-801 cruise missiles to arm four 1,600-ton Chinese-built Jianghu III (Project 053) frigates. There has been concern in U.S. government circles over China’s aggressive offers of $40 million in military aid to Bangkok after the coup in September 2006. The U.S. canceled $24 million in military programs to pressure the regime to return to democratic rule. Thailand and China concluded a joint military exercise in China in July, and military exchange programs are being expanded.

Allen Hicken, co-author of “Thailand’s New Politics,” said the new arms are for the volatile situation in the south.
“My understanding is that the demand for these purchases is the result of the unrest of the south and the need to re-equip and arm Thailand’s soldiers in the south,” Hicken said. “A particular concern is insufficient armored vehicles. The ongoing U.S. arms embargo means that Thailand has to look elsewhere for this equipment. The U.S. embargo will probably be lifted after the elections, but I think the feeling is that they can’t wait that long.”

Thai Defense Minister Boonrawd Somtas said in August the military needed new tanks, ships, fighter aircraft and helicopters. The budget, which had been capped at $2.9 billion annually since the 1997 Asian financial crisis, will increase to $5.1 billion next year.

A Thai government official said the arms purchase is business as usual, with the normal allotment of gratuities being spread around.
“The purchase is a regular investment in hardware by the military,” the official said. “The cost is not that large for the economy to absorb. The brass should be happy; a corollary to this is that the arms sellers would do their usual turn of giving commissions to the purchase approvers. You may view it as detrimental behavior by the purchasers or normal transaction fallout.

“The bad angle to this is that the commissions should have been returned to the Budget Bureau or the national treasury, rather than to purchase approvers, who exercised power but paid none of the money used to buy the arms. The [Thai] world is still imperfect,” he said.
The military-backed government is preparing for elections in December. The new elections are expected to lead to a renewal of U.S. military aid, and some hope it will force out what many believe are corrupt military officials.

“The coup is coming to a close. The population is displeased that driving out Prime Minister Thaksin only brought in other power-hungry groups. The population now wants Prime Minister Surayut Chulanon and his Cabinet to quickly exit the stage; the ministers did practically no worthwhile work so far while in office; decisive meaningful decisions were aborted one after another,” the Thai government official said.
“So, the election should be held as soon as possible, and this prime minister and his conceited group should go away as soon as possible. We are now waiting for the final three laws concerning election procedures to be enacted, and then it is countdown to election day.” ?

E-mail: wminnick@defensenews.com.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php...8776&C=asiapac

--------------------------------

Note that " an unspecified number of an unspecified model of ground-to-ground missiles" is C-802 to replace C-801

[jklv]

That's a good question.

Yes, they do train Muay Thai. But not as hard as the professional Mual Thai Boxer in Lumpini stadium. Armed force alway give some basic Muay Thai training course to US personal when they come here for Cobra Gold or Cope Tiger exercise.

Nice, that is great, as I believe Muay Thai is the best martial art. Actually Kick boxing and modern MMA fighting styles follow many Muay Thai moves

[Skyman]

5 Nov 2007

Don Meuang AFB - From Boripathra, Chantra, to Fantrainer. Royal Thai Air Force yesterday unveiled the new prototye of self-developing aircraft, B.ThO.2 or บ.ชอ.๒, build by engineering department of RTAF. This is the re-engineering of SF-260MT that once commissioned on Royal Thai Air Force Flying School Kampeangsean. The project was start since Jan 2005. After some delay, RTAF will fly B.ThO.2 to the public eyes in the RTAF's annual exercise, Operation Angel Thunder 07 on 13 Nov 2007 in Lop Buri.







Prototype of B.ThO.2, SF-260MT



---------------------------------------------------------

Previous self-making aircraft.

BT.2 Boripathra. (Bomber) One of the first asian-build aircraft.



B.F.17 Chantra. (Primary Trainer) 12 were commissioned.



B.F.18 Fantrainer FT-400 and B.F.18A Fantrainer FT-600. (Trainer and Light-Attack) Build in cooperation with Germany company, RFB.



---------------------------------------------------------

Prototype only

[Dark Avenger]

Skyman, I've been trying for a long time to find photos of the Fantrainer 600 in the light attack configuration - with zero results. Perhaps you could help a little here, please?