Cabinet approves B13.8bn budget for fighter jets upgrade

The cabinet has backed a plan to buy four fighter jets starting in the next fiscal year, an air force spokesman said on Wednesday, with a budget of 13.8 billion baht set aside for the procurement.

The approval follows a recent expression of interest by the air force chief, Air Chief Marshal Napadej Dhupatemiya, in procuring eight F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin Corp of the United States.

The cabinet has agreed the budget for a four-year period starting in the 2023 fiscal year, to replace some of the country’s aging F-16 jets, air force spokesman Air Vice Marshal Prapas Sornchaidee told reporters.

Thailand currently has 12 JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets made by Sweden’s Saab and dozens of American F-16 and F-5 jets, some of which have been in operation since…