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RTAF Air Tactical Operations
Competition 2017 |
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Text: |
Chakrit Samithinan |
Pictures: |
Chakrit Samithinan |
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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) |
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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. |
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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) |
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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) |
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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. |
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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) |
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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) |
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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. |
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Dornier Alpha
Jet with Rocket Pods from the 231 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)
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Dornier Alpha
Jet with Rocket Pods from the 231 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)
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Lockheed C-130H
Hercules of the 601 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) |
Lockheed C-130H
Hercules of the 601 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan) |
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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) |
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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) |
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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) |
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Figher-Formation (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)
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Figher-Formation (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)
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Figher-Formation (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)
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Figher-Formation (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)
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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. |
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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)
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Final Fly-By (Picture courtesy Chakrit Samithinan)
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