Asia-Pacific Military Aviation News roundup: 12 Sept 2013

Royal Thai Air Force Gripen (Gripen International/Saab Photo)

The Royal Thai Air Force held a ceremony at its Surat Thani base to mark the commissioning of the RTAF's Gripen Integrated Air Defense System. The RTAF has also expressed an interest in acquiring six more Gripens.

Lots of photos of the departure of Indonesia's first two KAI T-50 trainers leaving for their delivery flight to Indonesia via Kaoshiung, Taiwan and the Philippines. The T-50s were escorted by a TNI-AU Hawk Mk.53 when they arrived over Indonesia, with photos here and here. (Both TNI-AU photos)

Spotters badge for the T-50 Gallery goes to Irman

Asia-Pacific Military Aviation News roundup: 05 Sept 2013

TNI-AU (Indonesian Air Force) Su-30MK2

Two more Sukhoi Su-30MK2 Flankers have arrived in Indonesia in knocked down condition from Russia. This completes Indonesia's order of Flankers.

Boeing is still warily confident of the F-15SE Silent Eagle being selected in South Korea when the expected announcement is made in 2-3 weeks. This wariness is despite reports that both the F-35 and Typhoon have already been eliminated.

The last Australian F-111 designated as a museum piece has left RAAF Amberley on it's way to the Pacific Aviation Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii on board an RAAF C-17.

After a delivery flight interrupted by a lightning strike on one of the aircraft, the last three Gripens Thailand has on order have arrived at Surat Thani, home to the RTAF's Wing 7.

Asia-Pacific Military Aviation News roundup: 04 Sept 2013

Royal Thai Air Force Gripen (Gripen International/Saab Photo)

Despite recent crashes in South Korea, the Philippines is still keen on the KAI F/A-50 light combat jet to give it some badly needed combat capability.

The last three Thai Saab Gripen fighters should arrive in Thailand this afternoon after they were forced to extend their stay at Port Blair in the Andaman Islands after one was hit by lightning on its way to Surat Thani yesterday. This brings deliveries of the Gripen to the Royal Thai Air Force to 12, completing the Thai order.

Couple of very clear photos of Chinese aircraft participating in the Sino-Russian Exercise Peace Mission at Chelyabinsk, Russia in August. First up, a PLAAF Xi'an JH-7A fighter bomber followed by an armed Harbin Z-9WA light utility helicopter.

Royal Thai Air Force receives its second Saab Erieye AEW

Photo by Skyman/Thaiarmedforce.com

The Royal Thai Air Force has taken delivery of its second Saab Erieye Airborne Early Warning Aircraft, with the aircraft arriving at Surat Thani Airbase yesterday from Sweden. The Saab 340 carried Swedish Air Force markings for the delivery flight, and will revert to RTAF markings soon.

VIDEO: Day One Pitch Black 2012

The Royal Australian Air Force's Wing Commander David "Max" Merritt discusses the first day of Exercise Pitch Black 2012.

Meanwhile, the below photo was snapped from just outside RAAF Darwin near the end of a frenetic day of Pitch Black 2012 flying activity today. We were given a first rate tour of RAAF Darwin courtesy of the good folks over at the RAAF, and have a ton of photos to process!

List of participants at Exercise Pitch Black 2012

The Australian Defence Force has just released the list of participating aircraft at this year's Exercise Pitch Black, which will be held in the skies over Australia's Northern Territory from 27 July to 16 August 2012. Up to 94 aircraft and more than 2200 personnel are expected to participate in Exercise Pitch Black 12. This will include:

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)

F/A-18A Hornet (Darwin and Tindal)
F/A-18F Super Hornet (Darwin)*
C-130H and C-130J Hercules (Darwin)
King Air 350 (Darwin)
Hawk 127 Lead-In Fighter (Tindal)
Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft (Tindal)*
AP-3C Orion (Tindal)
KC-30 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (Amberley)*

Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)

F-16C/D Falcon (Darwin)**
F-15SG Eagle (Darwin)*
Gulfstream 550 Conformal Airborne Early Warning (CAEW) (Darwin)*
KC-135R Stratotanker (Darwin)

United States Marine Corps (USMC)

F/A-18C Hornet (Tindal)***
KC-130J Hercules (Tindal)

Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF)

F-16A/B Falcon (Darwin)

Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU)*

Su-30 Flanker (Darwin – 27 July to 13 August only)*

Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF)

Combat Support Personnel

*denotes first time participant for Exercise Pitch Black.
**RSAF F-16C/Ds will probably carry markings from both 140 and 143 Squadron, however personnel will be drawn from either of the squadrons listed.
***US Marine Corps F/A-18Cs will be from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232, normally based out of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. The unit is currently based at Iwakuni in Japan as part of the USMC's Unit Deployment Program (UDP).

More on the ADF's dedicated Pitch Black website.

Royal Thai AF F-16As in 100th Anniversary special scheme

To mark 100 years of military aviation in Thailand, the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has painted two of it's F-16A Fighting Falcons in a special scheme to mark the occasion. The aircraft (10311 and 10324), both from 103 Sqn based at RTAFB Korat, are now in the dazzling scheme, named "Century Falcon" that you see in the photos above.

An interesting note on the scheme is that there is a Nieuport painted on the underside of the F-16s. The backstory is that on 28 February 1912 the Thai Government dispatched three officers to learn to fly in France, thus marking the birth of Thai military aviation. The three officers (Major Luang Sakdi Sanlayawut (Sunee Suwanprateep), Captain Luang Arwut Sikikorn (Long Sinsuk) and First Lieutenant Tip Ketuthat learned to fly and on 2 November 1913 returned to Thailand with eight aircraft (four Breguets and four Nieuports). They are today regarded as the forefathers of the Royal Thai Air Force.

More photos at ThaiArmedForce.com

VIDEOS: Exercise Cope Tiger 2012

Exercise Cope Tiger is a trilateral air exercise between the air forces of Thailand, Singapore and the United States held annually in the Kingdom of Thailand. 2012 marked the 18th occasion this exercise has been held, and the exercise enables the three nations' air forces to train how to better respond to a full spectrum of crises, from humanitarian and disaster response, to potential regional security threats.

Link: Cope Tiger trilateral exercise in full swing (USAF story)
Link: Boosting defence ties at Exercise Cope Tiger (Ministry of Defence, Singapore)

There are also a couple of videos on Youtube (not by me unfortunately) of the RTAF's Gripens, a mass take off and aircraft recovery at Royal Thai Air Force Base Korat.

PHOTO: Royal Thai Air Force jet trainers (Alpha Jet and L-39)

The recent Thai Boomerang exercise between the Thai and Australian Air Forces offered a glimpse of the Royal Thai Air Force's Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jets and the Aero L-39ZA/ART Albatros trainers. Note that the L-39 shown below is armed with AIM-9P Sidewinder Air-to-Air missiles. The RTAF currently operates 36 L-39ZA/ARTs with two squadrons and 19 (out of an original 25) Alpha Jet As with one squadron.

Ex Thai Boomerang 2011 was hosted by the RTAF's Wing 1 at Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima) Royal Thai Air Force Base and also involved the host unit's F-16s along with F/A-18A Hornets of the RAAF's Williamtown-based 77 Sqn.

Click on the thumbnails below to view high-resolution images.


© Commonwealth of Australia


© Commonwealth of Australia

PHOTO: Royal Thai AF Gripen and Saab Erieye Air-to-Air photography

The Royal Thai Air Force has done some none-too-shabby air-to-air photography of their new Gripens and Saab 340 Erieye Airborne Early Warning platforms. Both types were inducted into the RTAF a few days ago.







More photos in this link.

Cambodia accuses Thai F-16s of mock attack runs in border dispute

In the second day of fighting near a disputed temple on their common border, Cambodia has accused Royal Thai Air Force F-16s of staging mock attack runs on Cambodian military positions. The recent clashes are the second flare up of fighting between the two nations over this dispute.

Thai Gripens set to take part in naval exercise

The Royal Thai Navy will conduct an annual naval exercise in the Gulf of Thailand near Sattahip, with the RTAF's newly-acquired Gripen jet fighters taking part in its first exercises. The RTAF's Saab 340 AEW&C platform will also take part in the exercise.

Ex Cope Tiger 2011 concludes, Singapore G550 AEW&C makes debut

Photo: MINDEF Singapore/RSAF

Involving more than a hundred military aircraft, this year's Exercise Cope Tiger in Thailand between the Thai, Singaporean and American armed forces has concluded. Making its debut in an overseas exercise is the Republic of Singapore Air Force's Gulfstream G550 AEW&C aircraft.

RTAF Gripens undertake first fights from Surat Thani

The Royal Thai Air Force has flown its first flights with their newly delivered Gripens. Squadron Commander Jackkrit Thammavichai, with a Swedish Air Force pilot in the back seat of the Gripen D twin seater, was undertaken from Surat Thani a few days ago.

Thai Gripen photos

Saab Photo

Meanwhile Zord Gábor László who runs Air Power Blog has kindly allowed me to use his photos of the Thai Gripens landing at Kecskemét, Hungary during their ferry flight home.


Single seater 70106 (Photo Zord Gábor László/Air Power Blog)


Twin seater (Photo Zord Gábor László/Air Power Blog)


70101 showing the temporary Flygvapnet roundel and taped-over Thai flag on it's tail (Photo Zord Gábor László/Air Power Blog)


Closeup of RTAF's 701 Fighter Squadron insignia (Photo Zord Gábor László/Air Power Blog)

Gripens arrive in Thailand prior to RTAF handover

Crewed mainly by Swedish pilots, six Saab Gripen fighters have arrived at Surat Thani yesterday evening. The jets officially still belong to Sweden, and carried Swedish national insignia with RTAF roundels and the Thai flag blanked off. The jets will be inspected and officially handed over to the air force next month.

First Thai Gripens to arrive in Thailand tomorrow

The first of 12 Saab Gripens ordered by the Royal Thai Air Force is set to arrive at the Thai capital Bangkok. The first unit to be equipped with the new fighters will be the RTAF's Wing 7 at Surat Thani in the south of Thailand.

PHOTO: Royal Thai Navy Bell 212 helicopter lands aboard USS Essex

(Click on thumbnail for high res image)
110216-N-4743B-095 GULF OF THAILAND (Feb. 16, 2011) Sailors direct a Royal Thai Navy Bell 212 helicopter as it prepares to land aboard the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2). Essex is part of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group and is participating in Exercise Cobra Gold 2011, a U.S. and Thailand co-sponsored multinational exercise designed to improve interoperability between participating nations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Adam M. Bennett/Released)

RTAF to investigate double F-16 crash

Bangkok Post Photo

The RTAF will conduct an investigation of yesterday's crash of two of its F-16s. The aircraft were part of a flight of four F-16ADFs from the RTAF's Wing 1 based at Nakhon Ratchasima. The crash occurred in the neighbouring province of Chaiyaphum.

Thai F-16s collide during Cobra Gold sortie; both pilots safe

Soon after the fatal crash late last year, two Royal Thai Air Force F-16s have crashed after a mid-air collision during a Exercise Cobra Gold sortie. Both pilots ejected safely after the collision, which happened in Chaiyaphum province.