The Royal Thai Air Force marked the 50th anniversary of its Peacemaker fleet which is now the world’s only one remaining fleet of Peacemaker aircraft.
ACM Alongkorn Wannarot presided over a ceremony to celebrate the anniversary of the AU-23A or Peacemaker fleet and introduce a project to extend the lifetime of the planes that were deployed at Wing 5 in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.
The air force chief said the lifespan of Peacemaker aircraft could be prolonged unlike F-5 and F-16 jets which would have to be decommissioned when their structures reached their lifetime.
The air force is improving the structures of its Peacemaker planes and replacing their analog dials with digital ones for the safety of pilots. It uses Peacemaker planes for many missions such as patrols, rainmaking and announcements. The improved airplanes should be in use for at least 15 years from now, ACM Alongkorn said.
The Royal Thai Air Force included Peacemaker planes among its fleet on Nov 14, 1972. The United States donated 33 Peacemaker planes after the Vietnamese war and 12 of them remain. Eight planes were improved and four more would be done within September next year.
The fleet of the air force was the world’s last military fleet of Peacemaker planes, the air force chief said. (TNA)
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