Thai air force debuts T-50TH Golden Eagle aircraft with deep strike on Battambang province

A South Korea-made T-50TH Golden Eagle aircraft at a Thai airbase. Warthunder

#National

The Royal Thai Air Force deployed the T-50TH Golden Eagle advanced trainer aircraft in a live combat mission deep inside Battambang province, dropping four bombs this morning, December 24.

At 10am this morning, they struck a village in Banan district, according to the Ministry of National Defence.

The South Korean-made jets have now joined the US-made F-16 and Swedish Gripen as examples of Thai aircraft which have bombed hotels, bridges and schools in Cambodia since the current fighting broke out on December 7.

According to a December 22 report by Defence Security Asia, Air Chief Marshal Praphas S, deputy commander-in-chief of the Thai air force, confirmed the transition of the T-50TH from a training platform to a fully operational combat aircraft under real wartime conditions.

The T-50TH Golden Eagle, developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), was launched from Squadron 401 at Wing 4, Takhli Air Base in Nakhon Sawan Province, Thailand, and conducted coordinated combat missions alongside F-16 Fighting Falcons and Saab Gripen fighters, noted the report.

Thailand reportedly has 14 T-50TH Golden Eagle aircraft, with the final two delivered in August 2024. Each aircraft has an estimated unit cost of approximately $30–35 million.

It is estimated that Thailand has launched around 30 airstrikes on Cambodia since December 7.

-The Phnom Penh Post-