Royal Thai Army acquires new helicopters
The Royal Thai Army (RTA) has operated Black Hawks for several decades. This image shows a UH-60L of the RTA's 9th Aviation Battalion. (Thierry Falise/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The Royal Thai Army (RTA) has acquired new helicopters, enhancing its rotary-wing capabilities.
On 18 September, the RTA's 9th Aviation Battalion announced the induction of four new Lockheed Martin (Sikorsky) UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters at Lopburi.
Meanwhile, the army's acquisition of eight Boeing AH-6i Little Bird helicopters under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme appears to be progressing, with an initial batch being unloaded at Kerry Siam Seaport in Chonburi Province, according to imagery published by Thai observers on 27 September.
The 9th Aviation Battalion is the sole Black Hawk operator in the RTA, fielding eight refurbished UH-60Ls acquired in 2002, three refurbished UH-60A helicopters procured in 2022, and seven UH-60Ms acquired in 2014 and 2022.
The army's acquisition of the four additional UH-60Ms is likely linked to a 2024 US Army/Department of Defense (DoD) contract modification worth USD1.2 billion awarded to Sikorsky for UH-60M helicopters destined for Australia, Brazil, Greece, Sweden, and Thailand.
It is unclear whether Thailand has ordered additional UH-60Ms beyond the four inducted in September. The US DoD and the RTA did not respond to a Janes request for information about the contract and acquisition by the time of publication.
A Lockheed Martin spokesperson said the UH-60M “enhances a partner country's ability to conduct essential national security and humanitarian missions”.
Little Birds
Photographs and video footage of AH-6i Little Birds at Kerry Siam Seaport show at least four helicopters being unloaded and transported by truck to an unspecified location.
Go beyond the headlines - with direct links to interconnected entities
Get full access to validated equipment, military capabilities, and market insights.
