Why the US refused to sell F-35 fighter jets to Thailand

The Nation Thailand newspaper reported today, May 23, that the US has rejected the Royal Thai Air Force’s (RTAF) request to buy two F-35 stealth fighters, saying that Bangkok is not ready for such sophisticated aircraft. Instead, the US plans to transfer F-16 Block 70 and F-15 Eagle models to Thailand.

Specifically, an RTAF source said that US Ambassador Robert F Godec met with Thai Air Force Commander Alongkorn Wannarot two weeks ago to personally inform him of Washington's decision. According to the source, Godec said that RTAF did not have the facilities or security measures necessary to receive the fighter jets.

Lý do Mỹ từ chối bán máy bay chiến đấu F-35 cho Thái Lan - Ảnh 1. — F-35 stealth fighter

According to the Bangkok Post , the US is still open to the possibility of selling F-35 stealth fighters to Thailand. Special envoy Godec told Mr. Wannarot that when Thailand is ready, the US will hold another negotiation on the sale of F-35s.

The source said the RTAF will not suffer any losses from the US decision, other than having to return 369 million baht (VND249 billion) that it withdrew from the defense budget to buy the F-35.

According to weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the F-35 stealth fighter can carry about 8 tons of ammunition, participate in close air support operations, tactical bombing, and air-to-air combat. The F-35 is also capable of combining data from the air and the ground to navigate the battlefield.

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