Thailand Looking To Acquire MRTTs

THE Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has outlined its intentions on acquiring a tanker-transport aircraft in the 2025 fiscal year. This was confirmed by the service chief Air Chief Marshal Punpakdee Pattanakul during a press conference celebrating the RTAF’s 88th anniversary on March 7.

ACM Punpakdee stated that the aircraft would function as a tanker to refuel the kingdom’s fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16s and Saab JAS 39 Gripens. Additionally, the aircraft would also serve as a VIP transport and emergency medical service platform.

The RTAF currently operates a single Airbus A340-500 which had been activated to evacuate Thai nationals from overseas during outbreaks of conflict. With the new multi-role tanker-transport (MRTT), the RTAF would acquire an enhanced long-range intercontinental flight capability for faraway overseas missions, humanitarian evacuations and logistical support.

It was reported that several candidates have already been under consideration, the Airbus A330 MRTT, Boeing KC-46 Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotanker. Should the acquisition be approved, Thailand would receive the aircraft between 2028 and 2029.

Singapore is currently the only Southeast Asian nation operating an MRTT aircraft, which is the A330, proving its vast capabilities by sending humanitarian to Gaza, evacuating citizens from Afghanistan or even conducting automatic air-to-air refuelling (A3R) at night.-shp/adj/dl (Pix:SG MINDEF)