B4.6bn price tag for 8 new aircraft
published : 18 Nov 2021 at 09:27
writer: Gary Boyle
ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: Wassana Nanuam
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) will pay 4.6 billion baht to buy eight aircraft from a US company.
The US defence contractor Textron Aviation Defense said it is selling eight Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine aircraft to the RTAF to support the light attack operations at Chiang Mai Air Base.
The signing of the contract, worth US$143 million (4.6 billion baht), was announced to the Nasdaq Stock Market on Sunday. The contract also covers ground support equipment, spare parts, training and other equipment.
According to Textron Aviation Defense, Thailand is the first foreign buyer of the aircraft.
"We are honoured the Royal Thai Air Force has competitively selected the Beechcraft AT-6 to conduct a broad array of missions in support of its border security and its anti-smuggling, counter-narcotics and anti-human trafficking operations," said the company's president.
The aircraft will join the Royal Thai fleet in 2024.
Vocabulary
- aircraft (noun): an airplane or helicopter or other vehicle that travels through the air from place to place - เครื่องบิน
- contract: an official written agreement - สัญญา
- contractor: a person or company whose job is to do work for another person, organisation, company, etc. - ผู้รับเหมา
- defence: protecting somebody/something from attack - การป้องกัน, การต้าน, การ พิทักษ์
- honoured: feeling pleased or proud because people are showing you great respect - รู้สึกเป็นเกียรติ
- human trafficking: the trade of humans, most commonly for the purpose of sexual slavery, forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others (Source: Wikipedia) - การค้ามนุษย์
- mission: an important job, especially a military one, that someone is sent somewhere to do - ภาระกิจ, หน้าที่, งาน
- narcotics: illegal drugs such as heroin, cocaine or crystal methamphetamine - ยาเสพย์ติด
- operation: a planned activity involving a lot of people, especially soldiers or police officers - การปฏิบัติการ
- smuggling: secretly and illegally taking goods or people into or out of a country or place - การลักลอบ
- spare parts: pieces that can be used to replace another similar pieces in a car, plane, or other device - ของอะไหล่, สิ่งที่เก็บไว้สำรอง
- stock market (noun): the business of buying and selling shares in companies and the place where this happens; a stock exchange - ตลาดหุ้น
