New era for air force with modern jets | Bangkok Post: news

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New era for air force with modern jets

SPECIAL REPORT: The latest fighter planes from Sweden land today, writes Wassana Nanuam

Published: 22/02/2011 at 10:31 AM
Newspaper section: News

The arrival of six Gripen jet fighters today will usher in a modern era for the Royal Thai Air Force, commander Itthaporn Subhawong says.

The air force will take delivery of 12 Swedish-made Gripen fighters, worth almost 40 billion baht, after the cabinet approved the purchase of the jets in 2008 when Samak Sundaravej was the prime minister and defence minister.

The Gripen 39 C/D aircraft will replace the ageing F-5A/B jets. The F-5A/B aircraft will be completely phased out by the end of this year.

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About the author

: Writer: Wassana Nanuam; Position: Reporter

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josh
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Discussion 18 : 03/03/2011 at 04:11 AM18
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Well all my friends: I am gonna have to say this since I am a Thai. I am pround to see that Thai Military have better equipments, and should continue to up grade of all brances. We need more and better helicoper such as Air embulance helicopter, troop transport and repid responding, and fighter helicoptors like the Black hawk or close to that capability. not just to flex the muscle, but to show the world that we are well being and will not let anyone walking all over us.
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josh
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Discussion 17 : 03/03/2011 at 02:00 AM17
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To D#12
I am sure this purchased had been planned and finalized far before the F 16 crashed. you can not just go out and buy 40 millions fighter jet off the store shelf, you know? and you have poor spelling.
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josh
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Discussion 16 : 01/03/2011 at 10:52 PM16
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just like a car, it needs to be replaced after so many years(4-5 years) or somany miles(kilometers)
driven. Airplans and Tanks are no different.
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josh
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Discussion 15 : 01/03/2011 at 10:47 PM15
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every country need defensing systems and modern equipments to protect their own people and country.
Thailand is lucky enough to have good economy and can effort to buy modern equipments.
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spiceman
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Discussion 14 : 23/02/2011 at 05:53 AM14
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Dear BP, your #7 photo is not Rafale but the Chinese J-10.
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spiceman
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Discussion 13 : 23/02/2011 at 05:51 AM13
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Khun Ricefield #11, Nazi Germany operated none of tailless delta wing aircraft at all prior or during WWII. Its ME-163 Komet was a tailless aircraft, not a tailless delta by any stretch of the imagination. Unlike, tailless delta which are capable of going through the sound barrier like hot knife going through butter, Komet would totally went out of control and disintegrate, long before it ever got close to the sound barrier.

Sweden took the German theoretical work on delta wing, made public after WWII, and ironed out many of its deficiencies and inventing the double-delta (Draken), then canard-delta (Viggen, Gripen). The original tailless delta (Mirage III, F-102, F-106) needs extreme long runway for takeoff and landing, but the Swedish double-delta, and canard-delta can operate comfortably from short sections of the Swedish highway system. The rest of the world (Typhoon, Rafale, J-10) only caught on the idea decades after that.
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luvclick
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Discussion 12 : 23/02/2011 at 02:35 AM12
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What a west of money... It would be better to support the poor instead of inventing the weapon.
Who are Thai going to do the dog-fight or booommmmm ?
Under The ASEAN framework is talking not fighting.
Maybe, Thai is so scare about the Cambodia Voodoo ... getting new jets.
Since two F16 fall off the sky for un-clear reason.
Smart move Swedish. Are the new jets are Voodoo resistant ? LOL
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ricefield
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Discussion 11 : 22/02/2011 at 10:31 PM11
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D 10 - Germany had a flying Delta wing aircraft in 1931 long before Sweden ever produced one.
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spiceman
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Discussion 10 : 22/02/2011 at 03:47 PM10
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Khun Joe #9, Sweden has a long tradition of aviation excellence and a leader in advanced fighter designs. For example, Sweden invented the Canard-Delta configuration decades before everybody else, which is recently being used in Typhoon and Rafale. Sweden also invented a super-quiet class of submarine, recently embarrassed the US Navy, by sneaking in & out of the Carrier Battle Group undetected and had an up-close & personal picture of a mighty US Super-carrier to prove it.
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joe
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Discussion 9 : 22/02/2011 at 01:34 PM9
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Whatever the American or Western European sold to the third world are not the latest and greatest cause they do not want the technology to fall into China hand, especially, the avionic software, missile guidance technology, the composite material. Sweden air forces? Who wants to attack Sweden, the land of Nobel prizes, the polar bears? Sweden air forces is for demo to show potential third world buyers third grade fighters. Sweden is surrounded by friendly NATO countries. They have no enemy.
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