Thaland expected to select Beechcraft T-6 Texan II trainer and AT-6 Wolverine attack aircraft

The AT-6 Wolverine light attack aircraft from Beechcraft. Photo c/o Beechcraft.

The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) is expected to select the Beechcraft AT-6E Wolverine and T-6C Texan II aircraft for its next generation requirement for a light attack aircraft and trainer aircraft, respectively.

This was after the RTAF made a presentation at a recent annual symposium highlighting T-6TH and AT-6TH in its planned purchase and development roadmap, obviously referring the T-6 Texan and AT-6 Wolverine aircraft from Beechcraft.

The "TH" designation may refer to a Thai variant that includes RTAF-specific modifications, which may include the installation of the local Link-K tactical data link, integration of Diehl Defense IRIS-T air-to-air missiles, specific smart munitions, and other subsystems.

If successful, Thailand will become the first export customer of the AT-6 Wolverine, on top of Beechcraft beating other offers including the Pilatus PC-21, Korea Aerospace Industries KT-1 Wongbee, and Turkish Aerospace Industries Hurkus B.

The RTAF has prioritized the acquisition of a new trainer aircraft to replace its existing fleet of Pilatus PC-9, with previous acquisition roadmaps showing an allocated budget of THB5.2 billion (US$164.3 million) for fiscal years 2020 to 2023.

A separate Light Attack Aircraft project, preferably related to the selected trainer aircraft, was planned for implementation in two phases between fiscal years 2021 to 2023, and 2022 to 2024, with a budget for an initial aircraft worth THB4.5 billion.



[1] AIN Online
[2] Thai Armed Force Defense page