Following its trial by fire during the 2025 border clash with Cambodia, the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) is revising its development roadmap. Driven by the vision to become one of the region’s premier air forces, it is aiming to transition into a leaner, more capable, and self-reliant force.

Drawing from lessons from the border conflict, RTAF Commander-in-Chief Air Chief Marshal Seksan Kantha last month highlighted the new operational priorities of the air force, which included “reviewing and revising doctrine, improving training, and the management, control and countering of unmanned aircraft.” In addition, in line with other major air forces around the world, a new “air warfare center would become a hub of tactical and doctrinal knowledge”.

The air force’s new 10-year roadmap, which was outlined in a White Paper issued last month, has refocused development efforts on fewer but more capable, crewed combat aircraft, more uncrewed ISR and combat aircraft, precision-guided and standoff weapons, command and control upgrades for a more network-centric force, and integrated air defenses and counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS) for air bases.

The RTAF’s training aircraft modernization is well underway and has included the recent acquisition of the T-6 Harvard II turboprop trainer and TA-50TH advanced jet trainer, as well as associated simulators from the U.S. and South Korea, respectively. The next step, to improve pilot training, will see the replacement of the ageing CT/4 Airtrainer (known as the B.F16 in the RTAF) fleet with a new elementary training aircraft.

In the 2030s, the Thai air force will become a smaller force centered around its three principal air wings: Wing 1 in Korat, Wing 4 in Takhli, and Wing 7 in Surat Thani. Other units will be refocused on special missions, airlift operations, and uncrewed missions.

Following the official selection of SAAB’s next-generation Gripen E/F as the RTAF’s future combat aircraft in August 2024, the air force has invested in the phased acquisition of the aircraft to replace the 1 Wing’s ageing F-16 fleet through to the 2030s.

While the first three Gripen E/F are poised to be delivered to the 1 Wing in 2028, the RTAF is seeking government funding for the next batch of eight aircraft to complete the 12-aircraft-strong squadron as early as possible.

The 7 Wing’s legacy Gripen C/D fleet was upgraded to the MS20 standard during the early 2020s, which greatly expanded the aircraft’s potential. The upgrade made the jet compatible with the very long-range, state-of-the-art MBDA Meteor air-to-air missile, which will also arm the next-generation Gripen fighters. The long-range air-to-air missile capability is a key focus in the 2026 White Paper, a clear lesson drawn from the 2025 India-Pakistan border conflict, the Ukraine War, and the Sino-U.S. race to develop ever-longer range air-to-air missiles.

During the Thailand-Cambodia border clashes last year, most weapons delivered by the RTAF were precision-guided direct attack munitions, with a few long-range glide bombs (i.e., KGGBs) employed at the beginning of the conflict. To provide more reach while keeping its own combat aircraft within its own borders, standoff weapons are required.

In September 2026, Bangkok announced the acquisition of 20 Rampage air-launched ballistic missiles (ALBM) – derived from the EXTRA artillery rocket – along with 100 MPR-500 bunker-buster munitions and additional LIZARD-III guidance kits worth $33 million from Israel. The Rampage ALBM will be integrated on the 4 Wing’s F-16 fleet to provide it with a significant boost in standoff strike capability, while the LIZARD-III kits replenish expended stocks and improve capabilities against hardened targets.

The RTAF is also considering the procurement of the French Safran 250 XLR and 1000 XLR AASM rocket-powered precision-guided bombs to provide standoff precision strike capability to the Gripen fleet amid news of SAAB and Safran working together to integrate the weapon onto Ukraine’s upcoming Gripen fighters. If materialized, the RTAF would be able to generate air force-wide standoff precision strike capability.

In addition to crewed combat aircraft, the updated White Paper continues the previous edition’s focus on the development and integration of uncrewed combat aircraft as force multipliers. To that effect, the air force aspires to form its future force structure around intelligent human-machine teaming – integrating crewed combat aircraft with uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) – allowing it to generate more combat mass more affordably. Moreover, in addition to the higher-end CCAs, the RTAF will continue to invest in a range of uncrewed and autonomous ISTAR and strike platforms.

Moreover, the RTAF has continued to improve its tactical airlift capabilities by acquiring two additional C-295 transport aircraft and an A330 MRTT+ aerial refueling aircraft from Airbus. The latter provides the RTAF with a substantial increase in operational reach.

Since the acquisition of the legacy Gripen and SAAB 340 Erieye airborne early-warning (AEW) aircraft from 2008 onwards, the RTAF and Thai defense industry began developing domestic datalink technology together with SAAB, as part of the technology transfer agreement between the two parties.

The resultant Link-T was put to the test during the 2025 border clash, which proved the efficacy of network-centric operations. Link-T allowed seamless exchange of air picture and C2 between the airborne Erieye and the air operations center on the ground, as well as with compatible combat aircraft (i.e., Gripen and F-5TH).

Common concerns about sensitive information or technology leaking to unwanted parties have meant that Western suppliers have typically sought to retain control over datalinks, such as the NATO-standard Link-16. In addition, integration between Eastern and Western data systems has been challenging. Therefore, compatibility considerations have been a major concern to the RTAF when procuring weapons and military equipment.

To this end, technology transfer agreements associated with the Gripen E/F deal provided the RTAF and Thai defense industry access to intellectual property rights to modify the Link-T to each service’s needs and to enable a better networked joint force. This will also help to move the RTAF towards its goal of greater self-reliance in the next two years.

Further, indigenous development of the datalink will allow integration of air, sea, and land forces into a single C2 network (the future Joint Capabilities Command), allowing commanders at each level to see the same operational situation across all three domains.

Gripen E/F technology transfers also yielded important improvements to the air force’s Erieye AEW platforms as well. RTAF’s two Erieye aircraft will receive important upgrades to add the ‘C’ (for command) to the AEW&C moniker. The upgrade will allow the RTAF to use the Erieye as a C2 platform and direct fighters or ground-based air defenses to intercept targets without the need to route commands through a ground station, significantly improving the speed of the air-to-air kill-chain.

Another key priority of the Thai air force is to improve airspace monitoring and to develop layered and integrated air defense and counter-drone capability for each main and support air base. Traditionally, each Thai military service has operated its own often similar ground-based air defense systems, with complicated command structures. The RTAF has only limited air defense capabilities of its own, with very short- and short-range air defense systems forming most of its inventory.

Therefore, the recent announcement of the acquisition of the Israeli IAI Barak-MX system marks a major milestone in the development of the RTAF’s long-range air defense capability and provides a much-needed boost for the defense of its air bases. The Barak-MX has a nominal range of 150 kilometers and enhances the air force’s defense against tactical ballistic missiles, artillery rockets, and air-breathing targets like combat aircraft, UASs, and cruise missiles. The former is an especially important capability amidst the proliferation of heavy artillery rockets and tactical ballistic missiles in the region, including in neighboring Myanmar and Cambodia. The acquisition is the first phase of a multiphase procurement to provide similar capability to all air bases. The RTAF will receive its first Barak-MX system in 2029.

In addition, the heavy deployment of drones during the 2025 border conflict reiterated the need to equip air bases and other units with effective C-UAS capabilities, ranging from handheld jammers to kinetic effects.

The air force continues to modernize its early-warning radar network with the acquisition of further Indra LANZA 3D radar systems from Spain. Thailand has already introduced two LANZA 3D radars, stationed in Hat Yai and Koh Samui, with the third one to be delivered to Phuket. The radar provides enhanced airspace monitoring against low radar-cross-section aircraft, ballistic missiles, and slow-moving targets like UASs.

The air force’s updated roadmap also seeks to further develop its real-time ISR and ISTAR capabilities, using space-based remote sensing and assisted by artificial intelligence.

In 2020, RTAF successfully launched its first Napa-1 nanosatellite into orbit, which was followed by Napa-2 in 2021. The two satellites are equipped with optical imaging technologies for both civilian and military Earth observation.

In line with these efforts, the RTAF is also set to rebrand itself as the Royal Thai Air and Space Force by 2028, while the new National Air and Space Interests Coordination Center will oversee the development of military space activities. To support efforts to improve self-reliance, Thai industry collaborates closely with the Thai military to provide the RTAF with the first homegrown nanosatellite, known as Thai Universe-1, in the future. Together, the space-based remote sensing and AI-enhanced C2 functions will help the RTAF to transform its ISR, targeting, and battle-damage assessment functions.

Finally, the RTAF training and multinational exercises in 2026 showcase important lessons drawn from last year’s border clash, with a new emphasis on air-to-ground coordination and forward air controller tactics, techniques, and procedures, close air support, and suppression of enemy air defenses, as well as C-UAS techniques.

Overall, the RTAF’s updated road map showcases a realistic plan that will develop a well-rounded, technologically advanced, and more self-reliant force for the future.