By Thai Newsroom Reporters
A COUPLE OF UNITED STATES-BUILT AT-6 light attack aircraft are scheduled for deployment by the Thai air force at Wing 41 in Chiang Mai in the upcoming June.
Wing 41 Commander Capt. Paratorn Jinawat confirmed today (Mar. 12) a couple of Beechcraft AT-6TH Wolverine light attack planes are part of a new squadron of eight aircraft of the same type to be deployed at the northern air force base beginning in June.
The turboprop AT-6THs which are replacing an ageing squadron of Czech-built L-39 Albatros light attack jets for airborne deterrent missions have been procured for a combined price of 4.5 billion baht, Capt. Paratorn said.
The one-engine, two-seater AT-6TH light attack aircraft are primarily designed to conduct reconnaissance and patrols over high terrains of the northern region sharing border with Myanmar and Laos, according to the Wing 41 captain.
However, Wing 4 in Takhli district of Nakhon Sawan will be equipped for repair and maintenance of the Beechcraft aircraft, Capt. Paratorn said.
In case of a possibility of Myanmar’s Russian-built MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters invading Thai air space over northern or northwestern border terrains, US-built F-16A/B Fighter Falcon jets would immediately scramble from Wing 4 to the scene to intercept the unwelcome intruders, he said.
In 2022, a MiG-29 fighter intruded into Thai air space over Popphra district of Tak purportedly as part of the Myanmar air force’s air strike mission against an ethnic rebel group along the shared border.
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Top and Front Page: AT-6 Wolverine is a light attack and armed reconnaissance aircraft designed and manufactured by Beechcraft, a brand of Textron Aviation. Photos: Airforce-technology.com
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