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Air Tactical Operations Competition 2021

Text:	Chakrit Samithian
Pictures:	Chakrit Samithian, Sakpinit Promthep, Sukasom Hiranphan

This year’s RTAF Air Tactical Operations Competition was held on Thursday, 2rd December 2021 at the Chandy firing range near Chaibadan, Lopburi Province. Due to the Covid situation, the number of spectators was kept small but a few school kids were nevertheless allowed to witness the event. All military personnel and all visitors were wearing facemasks due to the ongoing pandemic.

The competition took place under the watchful eyes of the new commander of the Royal Thai Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Napadej Thupatemi. He was a former F-16 pilot who became commander of Squadron 103 of Wing 1 in Korat. It was therefore fitting that the F-16B used for the opening pass was his former aircraft when he was Squadron Commander with his name still inscribed beneath the canopy.

(Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

(Picture courtesy Sakpinit Promthep)

The Commander arrived same as last year in a convoy of two S-92 Sikorsky helicopters. After the usual address to the commander, Air Chief Marshal Napadej opened the day’s activities with a short speech at 10.05 am. This was the second time that the demonstration started one hour earlier than on previous occasions which is significant because with the sun still relatively low, the photographers need to shoot almost directly into the sun. Not unexpectedly, the photos in this report reflect this unfortunate fact. Also, the sky was overcast and the light was such that most photos turned out almost as Black & White pictures.
The following is a short description of the demos in the sequence as they materialized.

(Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Air Chief Marshal Napadej Thupatemi (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

(Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Like every year, the show was opened by a very low and fast pass by the earlier mentioned F-16B from Wing 1. This was followed by a brand new Special Mission version of a Diamond DA-42 aircraft with a very outsized nose. It was the first public appearance of this special type of Diamond aircraft.

Fast Fly by of an F-16A (Picture courtesy Sukasom Hiranphan)

Diamond DA-42 (Picture courtesy Sakpinit Promthep)

Diamond DA-42 (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Northrop F-5TH Super Tigris(Picture courtesy Sakpinit Promthep)

Saab Gripen (Picture courtesy Sakpinit Promthep)

Northrop F-5TH Super Tigris (Picture courtesy Sakpinit Promthep)

Dogfight of a Saab Grippen and Northrop F-5TH Super Tigris (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Northrop F-5TH Super Tigris (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Dogfight of a Saab Grippen and Northrop F-5TH Super Tigris(Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Thereafter, the pace increased when a F-16A and a F-5TH Super Tigris turned the sky into a ballet of dogfighting, followed by a F-16 dropping a new type of bomb from a height of 18’000 feet onto the target marked by 4 white crosses. This new type of bomb is a Lizard 3 laser bomb which was apparently developed in Israel. It does not explode upon first contact with the ground but only after it has penetrated the ground. The effect is that the explosion is delayed and less spectacular but probably more deadly. The author was able to capture the bomb in a series of photos as it neared the target and eventually entered the ground before exploding. It was impossible to see the bomb falling on the target but thanks to a zoom lens and proper positioning, the author’s camera was able to detect the bomb and follow it to the target.

General Dynamics F-16 carring a Lizard 3 (Picture courtesy Sakpinit Promthep)

General Dynamics F-16A from 103 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Lizard 3 (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Impact of the Lizard 3 (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

This was followed by conventional bombing runs by two F-16s and two T-50s whose bombs exploded with great noise, fire and lots of smoke. Then it was time for four Alphajets to attack a different ground target and fire up to 6 missiles each.

General Dynamics F-16A from 103 Sqn (Picture courtesy Sakpinit Promthep)

Impact of Mk-82 Bombs (Picture courtesy Sakpinit Promthep)

General Dynamics F-16A from 103 Sqn (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Impact of Mk-82 Bombs (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

KAI T-50 from 403 Sqn (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Impact of Mk-82 Bombs (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Dornier Alpha Jet from 231 Sqn (Picture courtesy Sakpinit Promthep)

(Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Dornier Alpha Jet from 231 Sqn(Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

General Dynamics F-16A firing 20 mm guns (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

General Dynamics F-16A from 103 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

The pace of the demonstration markedly changed when a C-130 Hercules proceeded to do a cargo drop. Due to heavy winds prevailing during the final practice the day before, the cargo was blown away from the target area. To compensate for the prevailing winds on the day of the competition, the pilot dropped the cargo way too early and almost unnoticed by most of the spectators present. The Basler BT-67 which followed the C-130 then did the opposite of the Hercules in that the water drop took place way beyond the target area when most photographers had already stopped taking pictures.

Lockheed C-130H Hercules from 601 Sqn (Picture courtesy Sakpinit Promthep)

Lockheed C-130H Hercules from 601 Sqn (Picture courtesy Sukasom Hiranphan)

Lockheed C-130H Hercules from 601 Sqn (Picture courtesy Sakpinit Promthep)

Lockheed C-130H Hercules from 601 Sqn (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Basler BT-67 from 461 Sqn (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Basler BT-67 from 461 Sqn (Picture courtesy Sukasom Hiranphan)

Basler BT-67 from 461 Sqn (Picture courtesy Sakpinit Promthep)

The helicopters had thereafter their own little show when a EC-725 brought a mobile field hospital to be erected on the ground which happened in record time. While the build-up of the hospital was in progress, the EC-725 proceeded to abseil a soldier to a person on the ground and then lifting both up into the heli.

Eurocopter EC-725 (Picture courtesy Sakpinit Promthep)

Fieldhospital (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Eurocopter EC-725 (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Eurocopter EC-725 abseil a Soldier (Picture courtesy Sakpinit Promthep)

Eurocopter EC-725 abseil a Soldier (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

This marked the end of the air to ground activities and the last part of the demo consisted of several formation flights. First appeared two JAS-39 Gripen and two F-5E Super Tigris to be followed by four Alphajets. What then followed was both unique and previously unseen when nine F-16A/Bs made a very spectacular fly-by. Four passing T-50s then brought an end of the day’s demonstrations. And when the spectators were ready to leave the venue, two very low flying F-16s made the by now obligatory sneak pass from behind the mountain with one of the two aircrafts flying very close to the special lookout where the VIP guests, photographers and Journalists were positioned.

Saab Gripen & Northrop Tigris (Picture courtesy Sakpinit Promthep)

Saab Gripen & Northrop Tigris(Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

(Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

(Picture courtesy Sakpinit Promthep)

(Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

This year saw the conspicuous absence of the L-39 Albatross aircrafts because the entire L-39 fleet was deactivated in the spring of 2021. They will be replaced by a small fleet of brandnew Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine light-attack aircrafts from the USA and a contract was announced during the recent Dubai Airshow. Deliveries are said to begin in 2024 and Thailand appears to be the first export customer for this type of aircraft.

As a post-script, a F-5F Super Tigris aircraft, which was engaged in the tactical operations exercise in Chandy the day day after the official demonstration, crashed due to a monumental bird-strike. The strike caused the canopy to disintegrate and left the pilot no choice other than to eject. The pilot survived with slight injuries and was brought to a hospital.

Flypast of F-16 (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Sneak Pass of an F-16B (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

(Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Air Chief Marshal Napadej Thupatemi (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

(Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Chandy Tower (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

RTAF Public Relations Department (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

The Reporter (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithian)

Finally, sincere thanks go to the efficient and charming personnel of the RTAF Public Relations Department under the competent guidance of Miss Jirayu Doungnui who again kindly provided transport and lunch to all media representatives.

-	last update 15. December 2021	Written 15. December 2021	-	-
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