Thailand to Add to Black Hawk Fleet

25 Maret 2010

Soldiers of the 1st Special Forces Regiment, Royal Thai Army, fast-rope down from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter at Camp Pawai, Thailand, during Exercise Cobra Gold (photo : US DoD)

The Thai government has approved a proposal to purchase three additional Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters for the Royal Thai Army (RTA), Jane's has learnt.

The helicopters will supplement the three UH-60L aircraft that it has ordered from the US under a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) announced by in August 2009. Both batches of helicopters are expected to cost around USD150 million.

A source in the Thai government revealed the plan to Jane's on 24 March and confirmed that the additional aircraft will be used in a number of roles. He also said that unspecified Russian helicopters were considered to meet the requirement, but that the acquisition of the Black Hawks "was less complicated".

The six Black Hawks will join the RTA's current inventory of seven Sikorsky S-70-43 Black Hawks that are stationed in the RTA base in Lopburi, central Thailand.

(Jane's)