RTAF and USAF Completed Exercise Enduring Partners Engagement 2023

02 Oktober 2023

Exercise Enduring Partners Engagement 2023 (all photos : DVIDS, RTAF, Defenseinfo)

The Royal Thai Air Force and the United States Air Force have completed the first combined air exercise Enduring Partners Engagement 2023 held at Wing 1 Korat from 11-21 September 2023 as part of the State Partnership Program, United States and partner nations

The U.S. Air National Guard (ANG) has deployed five F-15C fighter jets from the Oregon ANG and two KC-135R aerial refueling aircraft from the Air National Guard Washington ANG.

Training together with fighter aircraft, F-16A/B Block 15 OCU/ADF, Squadron 103, Wing 1, F-16 AM/BM EMLU, 403 Squadron, Wing 4, piloted aircraft, Fighter Gripen C/D, Squadron 701, Wing 7, and Fighter F-5E/F TH Super Tigris, Squadron 211, Wing 21.

Enduring Partners 2023 exercises include combined dissimilar air combat and aerial refueling and Ground-Controlled Interception (GCI) have created interoperable expertise for both nations.

Additional Gripen fighter

However, while the practice did not gain traction in the mainstream media, Opposition parties in the Thai parliament have attacked the Royal Thai Air Force for using the budget to procure F-35A fighter jets that the United States did not sell to purchase 3 additional Gripen C/D fighter jets to replace the lost aircraft to complete the fleet of 14  machines.

The Royal Thai Air Force has confirmed that the approved budget to procure the F-35 will be returned to the Budget Bureau at the end of September 2023, with a request to cancel the F-35 procurement project that the previous cabinet approved in 2022 in order not to exceed the financial limit in the list of debts incurred over the year. 

In the annual budget 2024, The Royal Thai Air Force has not requested any funding for the procurement of F-35 fighter jets or other fighter jets such as Gripen, which means that there will be no replacement for the fighter jets F-16A/B Squadron 103 in the fiscal year 2024 including the procurement of 3 additional Gripen C/D fighter aircraft, in addition to the Royal Thai Air Force, sending the budget received for the purchase of the F-35 back to the country. It must also request approval to set up a new project for the procurement of Gripen fighter jets to the Cabinet and the new Thai parliament later.

Sweden's SAAB has previously said it could launch production of the new Gripen C/D if it receives large enough customer orders, looking at a contract from the Philippines. However, the Gripen C/D at some of Sweden's own use may be given to Ukraine for the war against Russia.

Meanwhile, the 26 South African Gripen C/D fighter jets that were previously reported to have been grounded due to lack of funding currently have no intention of reselling them to other countries. As for the Czech Republic and Hungary Gripen C/D, each of the 14 machines rented from Sweden will be replaced by new fighter aircraft like the F-35 around the end of 2029.

Therefore, when combined with Sweden having to maintain the JAS-39C/D Gripen fighter jets it has for its own use between receiving the new JAS-39E/F Gripen E/F fighter jet and delivering the Gripen C/D. One has already been given to Ukraine. If there are no new orders such as from the Philippines, it is difficult for Thailand to procure just 3 additional machines.

For this reason, after the delivery of 8 AT-6TH Wolverine attack and training aircraft and 2 T-50TH attack and training aircraft Phase 4, the last 2 machines in 2024, the Royal Thai Air Force Thailand is unlikely to receive government approval for any major fighter aircraft procurement projects in fiscal year 2024.

(AAG)