Air Force committee sets out criteria for acquisition of fighter jets

Air Force spokesman Air Vice-Marshal Prapas Sornjaidee said on Monday that the RTAF had set up the committee on January 10 to study the criteria for the purchase of fighter aircraft.

Among key specifications the committee has sought in the fighter aircraft is high quality and cutting-edge technology.

The fighter aircraft must have the capability of network-centric operations and have automatic information management with the Thai Army and civilian side. They must have the capability to attack, conduct anti-aircraft operations, special operations, patrol, and surveillance, Prapas said.

He said the fifth-generation fighters would have five properties: stealth, super cruise, sensor fusion, super manoeuverable, and synergistic integrated avionics.

The criteria set by the committee for the procurement included:

1. They must be authorised to be of military standards by international aviation organisations or organisations according to the manufacturer's country.
2. The planes, systems, and equipment must be manufactured with military standards and must have a proven track record. They must be reliable, acceptable at the international level, and used widely.
3. They must be manufactured and delivered according to the RTAF’s budget and schedule.
4. The manufacturer must arrange training in use of the fighter aircraft and other related technologies for RTAF personnel.
5. RTAF personnel should get scholarships for technological knowledge so they could develop many aspects by themselves sustainably.

A source reported the commander-in-chief, Air Chief Marshal Napadej Dhupatemiya, as saying earlier in an interview that the RTAF was looking for advanced fighters that could respond to future threats. He said the F-35 was the best choice and it was the fifth-generation fighter.