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  RTAF Air Tactical Operations Competition 2017
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Text:

Chakrit Samithinan

Pictures:

Chakrit Samithinan

   
   

Chandy Firing Range Viewing Platforms (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

Firing Range Overall View (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

Firing Range Main Target (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

School Class from Chaibadan (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

The annual Air Tactical Operations Competition by the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) was again held at Chandy Firing Range in Chaibadan, Lopburi Province in the third week of December 2017. The press and selected guests were invited to witness the opening ceremony on 19th December presided over by the Chief of the RTAF, Air Chief Marshal Johm Rungswan, which was followed by a 40 minutes live firing demonstration. All Wing Commanders of the RTAF were in attendance as well. A number of school classes from the Chaibadan area were also invited for the event. The RTAF showed for the first time their most modern fighter, i.e. the JAS 39 Gripen, in a ground attack role. Among the other aircrafts seen in action were General Dynamics F-16A and F-16B, Northrop F-5A and F-5B, the Dornier Alpha Jet and the Aero L-39 Albatross. The F-16s and the F-5s were dropping 500 kg bombs while the Alpha Jet’s and the L-39’s were firing rockets out of external rocket pods.

   

Rocket Pods (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

Special Operations Forces (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

Mauser 30 mm Anti-Aricraft Gun (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

Skye Gurard Aircraft Tracking System (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

   

Air Chief Marshal Johm Rungswang (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

Air Force Chief on Inspection (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

Opening Pass F-16B of the 403 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

Saab JAS 39 Gripen of the 701 Sqn.(Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

The weather was sunny but a strong wind was prevalent which made it impossible for parachutists to show their skills and limited the helicopter demonstration. Unfortunately for the photographers, practically all the pictures had to be taken against the sun which is reflected in most photos accompanying this report.

The demonstrations were, as in the past, opened by a very low flying F-16 with glowing afterburner followed by bombing runs by two F-16s which hit the target with surprising accuracy. This was followed by a bombing run by the Gripens which however dropped their laser-guided bombs from high altitude. As the actual bomb drop by the Gripens could not be observed from the ground, the Gripens made two fly-pasts at low level to show themselves to the RTAF top brass and spectators alike.

 
   
Saab JAS 39 Gripen of the 701 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) Saab JAS 39 Gripen very low (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) Saab JAS 39 Gripen of the 701 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) Saab JAS 39 Gripen of the 701 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)
 
Anti-Aircraft Battery (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) F-16 Bombing Run (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) Target Hit (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon of the 403 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

Thereafter, F-5s made their bombing runs just ahead of the rocket-firing Alpha Jets and L-39s. In between the bombing runs, a C-130H Hercules made a cargo drop from low altitude and a single Eurocopter EC725 and a lone Bell UH-1H Iroquois (also known as the “Huey”) showed a short exercise together with members of the Special Combat Operations Squadron.

 
 

Dornier Alpha Jet with Rocket Pods from the 231 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

Dornier Alpha Jet with Rocket Pods from the 231 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

Lockheed C-130H Hercules of the 601 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

Lockheed C-130H Hercules of the 601 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

 
Eurocopter EC-725 (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) Special Combat Operations Squadron (SCOS) (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) SCOS in action (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) Eurocopter EC-725 (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)
 
Bell UH-1H Huey (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) Bell UH-1H Huey (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) F-5E Bomb Drop  (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) Target Hit  (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)
 
L-39 Rocket Attack (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) L-39 Rocket Attack (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) Target Hit  (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

Alpha Jet Formation (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

 
Figher-Formation (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) Figher-Formation (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) Figher-Formation (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) Figher-Formation (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)

In the final part of the demonstrations, four Alpha Jets made the first fly-by and in a second group, two Gripens, two F-16s and two F-5Es flew past the spectators. To mark the end of the demonstrations, F-16As and F-16Bs made some attractive low level passes with full afterburners and, as a novelty, tossed flares into the air.

The very last action saw the specially painted Centennial Falcon make a very fast and low afterburner run past the viewing area which was at the same time the final appearance of this attractively painted F-16 since it has, after nearly 6 years, been earmarked for re-painting in the weeks ahead.

 
 
General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon Low Pass (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon Low Pass (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) Flares (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) Final Fly-By (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)
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last update 11. January 2018

Written 11. January 2018

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