A further two KAI T-50TH Golden Eagle lead-in fighter trainers are being purchased to boost the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) fleet, bringing the in-service total of the type to 14 aircraft.
The August 2 confirmation by KAI that a contract had been placed to buy the additional aircraft followed an announcement of the intent on July 14 by the RTAF director of operations. A budget of US$72m had been allocated for the purchase, although KAI said the final contract was worth US$78m in total.
The deal includes the two new aircraft, spares and logistics support, plus related tools and equipment. The RTAF had hoped to be able to purchase four aircraft but having to divert funds to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the available budget.
An initial four aircraft had been ordered under the original contract in 2015 and these were delivered in two pairs, in January and February 2018. A second batch of eight were ordered in 2017, with deliveries beginning with two in…
