RTAF Held a Ceremony to Receive the First Two AT-6TH Light Attack Aircraft

18 Juli 2024

Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) held welcome ceremony for first two of Beechcraft AT-6TH Wolverine serial "41101" and "41102" light atack aircraft (photos: RTAF)

The welcoming ceremony for the first two Beechcraft AT-6TH Wolverine light attack aircraft, numbered "41101" and "41102", to be stationed at Squadron 411, Wing 41, Chiang Mai, Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) on July 16, 2024, invited the media and students to join the ceremony to publicize and promote knowledge of Thai aviation industry.

The first two AT-6TH light attack aircraft, serial numbers "41101" and "41102", have been delivered by sea to Thailand and have entered the Final Reassembly Program by the aircraft factory of Thai Aviation Industries Co., Ltd. (TAI) in Takhli District, Nakhon Sawan Province, near Wing 4 Takhli since late May 2024.

The Royal Thai Air Force sent 8 pilots to receive training in Flight Instructor and Test Pilot courses at Textron Aviation Defense in Wichita, Kansas, from February 12 to May 15, 2024, and they have completed their studies and returned to Thailand.

The AT-6TH attack and training aircraft (actual designation unknown) is based on the AT-6E Wolverine light attack propeller aircraft, which also shares common ground with the Beechcraft T-6TH Texan II (T-6C) training aircraft of the Royal Thai Air Force Kamphaeng Saen Flying School, which has received a total of 12 aircraft in 2023.

The Royal Thai Air Force signed a contract to procure 8 AT-6TH attack and training aircraft for 4,314,039,980.80 baht ($143 million) on November 14, 2021. Squadron 411 will receive all 8 aircraft by February 2025. The procurement of AT-6TH attack and training aircraft also includes the transfer of technology to Thailand, as well as the T-6TH training aircraft assembled in Thailand by Thai company TAI. 

Textron has sent its AT-6E light attack aircraft, registered US N610AT, to Kamphaeng Saen Aviation School in Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand, for integration testing since November 2022.

Originally, the Royal Thai Air Force was looking to procure four AT-6TH attack and training aircraft for the second phase, for a total of 12 aircraft. However, the latest RTAF White Paper 2024 released on 29 February 2024 did not mention the procurement of additional AT-6TH aircraft.

The AT-6TH light attack aircraft is powered by a 1,600hp turboprop engine, has a maximum speed of 858km/h (316knots), a maximum service ceiling of 9,949m(31,000feet), a flight range of 3,194km (1,725nmi), and a payload of 1,864kg (4,110lbs). It is equipped with a WESCAM MX-15Di electro-optic/infrared(EO/IR) camera system which provides search, detection, tracking and targeting capabilities.

Possible weapons systems include the GBU-12 Paveway II 500lb laser-guided bomb, a seven-round LAU-131/A Hydra 70 air-to-surface missile pod, a 400-round FN HMP-400 .50cal machine gun pod and an AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missile.

(AAG)