The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) operates F-16A fighters that have undergone upgrades to improve their capabilities. In particular, some of their F-16A Block 15 Operational Capability Upgrade (OCU) aircraft have been upgraded to the F-16A (e)MLU (Enhanced Mid-Life Upgrade) standard.
This upgrade program has enabled the Royal Thai Air Force's F-16s to integrate modern weapons, including the IRIS-T (Infrared Imaging System Tail/Thrust Vector Controlled) air-to-air missile.
Key features of the IRIS-T missile:
Type: Short-range air-to-air missile.
Guidance: High-resolution imaging infrared (IIR) homing head for excellent target discrimination and protection against false targets.
Range: Approximately 25 km.
Speed: Up to Mach 3.
Maneuverability: High, thanks to thrust vectoring.
Capabilities: Target acquisition from any angle (can hit targets from any direction), target acquisition before and after launch.
