3 October 2020: Royal Thai Air Force has awarded a USD 162 million contract to the Textron Aviation Defence for an Integrated Training System in support of operations at the Royal Thai Air Force Flying Training School at Kamphaeng Saen air base. The contract is for 12 Beechcraft T-6C Texan II advanced military training aircraft, ground-based training systems for pilots and maintenance professionals, a mission planning and debrief system, spare parts and ground support equipment. The work in support of this contract will take place at the Textron’s Wichita, Kansas facilities.
“The Royal Thai Air Force operates one of the most advanced air forces in Asia Pacific and is a key US security ally,” said Thomas Webster, regional director of Textron Aviation Defence Asia Pacific Sales. “Their acquisition of the Beechcraft T-6C Texan II Integrated Training System empowers their cadre of student pilots with a technological advantage throughout their flight training and prepares them for a successful transition to advanced fighter and attack aircraft.”
The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II acquisition is in accordance with the 10-year Royal Thai Air Force Purchase and Development (P&D) Plan published in the RTAF White Paper 2020. The plan focuses on the modernization of key capabilities and promoting the development of the Thai defence industry.
“This program is a leap towards the new perspective of the Thai government to support the local defence industry, not only to procure a new trainer,” said ACM Maanat Wongwat, Commander in Chief, The Royal Thai Air Force. “This program seeks the involvement between diverse partners, primarily between foreign and Thai local companies, which has been driven by the government’s current strategy “S-Curve 11.”
Textron Aviation Defence training of Royal Thai Air Force pilots and maintenance professionals is set to begin in Wichita in 2022 while the 12 Beechcraft T-6C Texan II aircraft christened the T-6TH in Thailand are expected to join the Royal Thai fleet between late 2022 and early 2023. Textron Aviation Defence plans to ferry two of the 12 aircraft to Thailand, crating and transporting the remaining 10 aircraft to Kamphaeng Saen air base.
“We’re proud to equip the Royal Thai Air Force with the world’s most proven off-the-shelf training capability in the industry,” noted Brett Pierson, vice president of Textron Aviation Defence Strategy & Sales. “The Royal Thai Air Force will now have an affordable, low-risk next-generation military trainer designed for all levels of instruction, enabling a steady tempo of flight students transitioning from Pilot-In-Training to Pilot-In-Command. I know the legendary T-6 will support the Royal Thai Air Force with long-term reliability, cost-effective operations and a fully integrated array of simulators, computer-based academics and sustainable logistics.”
To date, the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II has logged more than 4.1 million flight hours across a global fleet of nearly 1,000 aircraft.
