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Philippines, Thailand strengthen air force capability with deals worth hundreds of US dollars

The Philippines and Thailand have announced their plans to buy attack fighters from the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Sweden, respectively.

This photo shows an FA-50 fighter landing at an air base in the southwestern city of Gwangju, April 17. (Photo: Courtesy of the Korean Air Force)
This photo shows an FA-50 fighter landing at an air base in the southwestern city of Gwangju, April 17. (Photo: Courtesy of the Korean Air Force)

Hanoi (VNA) - The Philippines and Thailand have announced their plans to buy attack fighters from the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Sweden, respectively.

The Korean defence firm Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) has signed a deal with the Philippine defense ministry to export 12 FA-50 light attack fighters by 2030, according to the RoK's Yonhap news agency.

The 700 million USD deal signed on June 3 marks the second round of FA-50 exports to the Philippines, following an initial deal signed in 2014 to supply 12 jets, according to the Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA).

The FA-50 has been exported to six countries, including Indonesia, Iraq, Malaysia, Poland and Thailand, so far. Prior to the Philippines deal, the RoK Korea last inked a deal to supply 18 jets to Malaysia in 2023.

Also the same day, Thailand announced plans to buy four Gripen fighter jets in a 500 million USD deal.

The announcement is the first phase of a 10-year plan to buy 12 fighter aircraft as Thailand updates its air power.

According to the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), the Gripen E/F models, made by the Nordic industrial giant Saab, will replace the Royal Thai Air Force’s older F-16 A/B jets bought in the 1980s.

Thai Air Force Chief Punpakdee Pattanakul said this is an important project to strengthen force to protect national sovereignty.

The procurement order will be submitted to the Thai cabinet for approval in mid-July, and is expected to be finalised by the end of August./.

VNA
#Philippines #Thailand #attack fighters #RoK #Gripen Philippines
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