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| M-346 Master (Wiki Info - Image: Wiki Commons) |
By ANDREW CHUTER
SINGAPORE — Thailand is the next regional target for the M-346 jet trainer maker Alenia Aermacchi, according to Giovanni Timossi, the company's vice president of sales in Asia.
A request for proposals (RfPs) for eight to 10 jet trainers is expected to be released next month, he said. No other advanced trainer RfPs are in the pipeline for the region at the moment, said Timossi.
The South Korean T-50 provides the main opposition in the region, having already scored a deal in Indonesia and been selected in the Philippines.
Indonesia is also looking at reviving the BAE Systems Hawk jet trainer fleet it has had in the inventory for years.
The British had a team in the country earlier this year to look at what is required to restore the Hawk to former levels of availability, according to BAE executives. BAE said there is no prospect of an upgrade to the 32 Hawks remaining in the Indonesian fleet at this time.
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