Fighter jets fly during the annual Military Parade to celebrate the Coronation of King Rama X at the Royal Thai Army Cavalry Center in Saraburi province, Thailand January 18, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun/File Photo
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BANGKOK, Jan 12 (Reuters) – Thailand’s 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 ($413.67 million) 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 (LMT.N) 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…
