‘Hot Alert’ video points out jet foray
The air push has released a video clip to try to rebut criticism about the nation’s airspace defence abilities following the incursion by a Myanmar fighter jet at the end of last month.
The so-called “Hot Alert” clip has been placed on social media to “explain” queries surrounding the incursion.
The government has come under fire from critics and the opposition for the allegedly slow response to a Myanmar MiG-29 fighter jet that violated Thai desert for about a minute more than Tak’s Phop Phra district on 06 30.
In the video , about forty minutes long, Group Captain Porakorn Jeenawat, a former commander associated with interceptor aircraft squadrons, said the understanding of the June 30 incursion varied depending on where people found their information.
As a former fighter jet initial, he said he understood how several may struggle to fully understand the issue if they are not trained, did not focus on the field or did not have sufficient information.
Doctor Capt Porakorn described the incursion happened over an area next to a strip of Myanmar territory straddled by Thai land.
The strip is lived on by ethnic group communities. It is occasionally hard for an initial to keep strictly towards the jagged border that is not clearly proclaimed by a river or mountain range.
The area can be vulnerable to accidental incursions, he said.
He was adamant the air force did not sit on its hands over the June 30 incident, which was noticeable on radar. It contacted the army, which reported Myanmar troops were fighting across the border plus were using jet fighter jets in army operations.
Both have remained around the constant lookout for almost any spillover of the turmoil.
The army was also acting as a “linesman” by sending soldiers along the border and viewing for jets, he said.
On the radar display, the jet was supposed to turn right as it approached the Thai border.
Instead, the particular pilot made the left turn, resulting in the incursion, based on Gp Capt Porakorn.
Later on that day, the Myanmar military heli-copter approached the Thailänder border, prompting atmosphere force F16 interceptor aircraft to scramble.
“It’s meant to show [Myanmar] they must not let incursions happen. We won’t tolerate it regardless of whether the act had been intentional or a mistake, ” he stated.
The air force deploys aircraft on Combat Atmosphere Patrol duty. They are called Quick Response Alert aircraft which are in operation around the country.
Standard criteria for scrambling such aircraft consist of whether the intruder positions a hostile intention.
Usually, a hostile mission is made up of more than one aircraft.
On June 30, there was clearly only one MiG-29 fighter jet that strayed into and broken Thai airspace.