Thailand’s Part CARAT Begin Today!

  I’ll post more photos when the exercise is going on.

CARAT to Provide Numerous Training Opportunities for Thailand, US
Release Date: 7/08/2009
By Lt. Mike Morley, Commander, Task Group 73.5 Public Affairs

SATTAHIP, Thailand (July 8, 2009) Southeast Asia’s only aircraft carrier will be the centerpiece of a combined afloat training schedule for the armed forces of Thailand and the United States during the Thailand phase of the 15th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise, which began July 8.

Photo Gallery: RTA Elite Units In Southern Thailand

Soldiers prepare to storm the house of suspected Muslim militants after an encounter in southern Thailand's Yala province, about 1,084 km (674 miles) south of Bangkok June 27, 2009. A soldier, a policeman and a suspected insurgent were killed in a gun battle in Thailand's restive Muslim south, security forces said on Saturday. REUTERS/Surapan Boonthanom (THAILAND SOCIETY CONFLICT POLITICS CRIME LAW)

As there are no news update on Thai military right now. I provides you a set of photo of RTA Special Unit in action!

Thank http://www.daylife.com.

 

Border dispute not lead to war with Cambodia: Thai defense minister

www.chinaview.cn 2009-07-04 17:25:46

BANGKOK, July 4 (Xinhua) — Thai Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said on Saturday that he was confident that the border dispute with Cambodia will not lead to war between the two countries as some fear.

RTAF First Gripen In Production Line

Photo in AirForce Monthly has a clear Thai flag but this is also OK. ^ ^

It’s a two-seat Gripen. One of the six ordered in the first batch. The jet will be delivered in 2011, a year before a delivery of Saab 340 AEW&C and Saab 340 aircraft.

It’s Getting Hot Again … In Thai-Cambodian Border

Hope there is notting bad phappen this time…….

Detail of Defense Budget Cut!

As my memory told, the 1997 Asian Economic Crisis is so damn bad. The current crisis Thailand facing, it’s hard, but it  can not compare with our previuos one. Maybe Thailand got some immune from the 1997 crisis.

But whatever the case, it’s still hard and now military got an impact by facing an budget cut.

So here are some detail of it.

Gripen Second Batch Row Along The Month!

Yes, there are only news news and news.

The most news publish outside Thailand said RTAF already abadon the plan to buy the second batch.

But the case is that it’s a bit of misunderstanding. In fact, the second batch is just to complete the overall project of 12 jets.

Airship for RTA!

Airship for RTA …. this is the unexpected thing.

Well RTA give the reason that due to the southern insurgency, RTA needs its own ‘Eye in the sky’.

The current ‘Eye in the sky’ is AU-23A peacemaker of RTAF equipped with FLIR and some UAV types, own by RTA.

RTN Special Warfare goes Up Scale, New Special Warfare Fast Craft.

Thai Navy today’s has it’s own Naval Special Warfare Unit, a SEALs, which is base on US Naval SEALs. (of course US Navy help establish this unit about 40 years ago and cooperation still going on today)

New structure of RTN call for a Naval Special Warfare Command, could be compared to US Naval Special Warfare Command in term of structure.

BTR-3E1 Finally Finds Its Engine

RTA decides to shift to US Engine instead of German-made one on BTR-3E1. German government refuses to sell engine to RTA citing the ‘political reason’ which is believe to be a result from 2006 Coup.

A coupmaker General Sonthi Boonyarattanaklin selected BTR-3E1 in 2007, a time Thailand still lived under the military rule.

Deal later posponed and signed in mid-2008 during PM Samak administration, a democratic government.