Thailand has a 50-50 chance of buying US stealth jets, Air Force chief says
Thailand has a “50-50” chance of succeeding in its bid to buy the world’s most sophisticated fighter jet, the F-35, from the United States, but it has alternatives if its bid fails, Royal Thai Air Force Commander in Chief Alongkorn Vannarot told a press conference on Thursday.
He reiterated that the government had a budget of 7.392 billion baht to buy the fifth-generation stealth jets but said no decision had been made in Washington on whether or not to sell F-35s to Thailand.
The Air Force is considering other advanced jets, Alongkorn said.
“We are looking at 5th-generation fighter aircraft from other countries, including Sweden,” he said.
Alongkorn said that if the US decided not to sell the jets to Thailand it would not impact bilateral relations.
“Thailand and the United States marked 190 years of cooperation this year. It has been a long-standing relationship,” he explained.
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a single-seat, single-engine stealth aircraft. It is considered the most technologically advanced fighter jet.
Military experts say the US may be unwilling to sell them to Thailand to prevent China from getting access to their technology.
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