He may not be looking at an upgraded radar display, after all
Thailand's election of a new Coalition Government, headed by Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, has revived industry hopes that the Star of Siam military-satellite project will go ahead.
The former defence minister was forced to shelve the 28 billion baht ($1.1 billion) project earlier in the year, along with other big-ticket items. The cost of the Star of Siam system attracted increasing criticism in the face of a ballooning current-account deficit.
Chavalit, however, is known to be a strong supporter of the planned geostationary-communications-satellite system. "It is well understood that it is his pet project and work is still quietly progressing," says a local industry source.
In the meantime, the emphasis has shifted to establishing a ground station and acquiring a cheaper, 1m-resolution, low-Earth-orbiting, imaging-satellite system. A Defence Space Development Centre has been set up, headed by Lt Gen Aran Chomphaian. Initial funding is included in the 1997 defence budget.
Aside from the Army-sponsored Star of Siam programme, the other two services will be looking to the new administration to support their own programmes. Money for a second batch of McDonnell Douglas F-18C/Ds has slipped by a year. The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) is pressing for funds in 1998.
The RTAF is also seeking financing for a follow-on purchase of ten Aero Vodochody L-39 ZA/ART light-strike aircraft to supplement the 40 already in service. Funding for both these procurements may come at the expense of a proposed Northrop Grumman F-5 radar upgrade, which is now in doubt, say local defence sources.
At the same time the Royal Thai Navy is continuing to press the Government to re-instate $680 million in funding for two submarines, cut from the 1997 budget. Other priorities include the procurement of two to three Kaman SH-2G shipboard helicopters, for which $40 million has already been budgeted, and a support package for nine British Aerospace AV-8A/ TAV-8A Harriers bought from the Spanish Navy.
Source: Flight International
