THE United States has approved the sale of four Black Hawk helicopters to Thailand, requested by the military government to fulfil its existing squadron, Army chief General Chalermchai Sitthisart said yesterday.

The deal for four UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters was handled under the US Foreign Military Sale programme, Chalermchai said, although he declined to give details of the price saying it was almost the same as the previous deal.

The Thai Army had acquired Black Hawk helicopters from the US in 2009. It currently has 12 and wanted four more to complete the fleet for transportation and combat mission, the Army chief said.

In July 2012 the Defence Department’s Defence Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Thailand of four Black Hawk helicopters and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support, at an estimated price of $235 million (Bt8 billion).

The request included 10 T700-GE-701D engines, warranty, support equipment, spare and repair parts, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical data, according to a Defence Department press release.

The Thai Army intended to use the UH-60s to modernise its Armed Forces. The US Defence Department said then that the proposed sale would contribute to Thailand’s objective to update its military capabilities and improve interoperability between Thailand and the US, and among other allies. The sale of the helicopters and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region, it said.

The principal contractors will be Sikorsky Aircraft Company in Stratford, Connecticut, and General Electric Aircraft Company (GEAC) in Lynn, Massachusetts.

The deal was delayed when General Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is now the premier, staged a coup to topple the elected government in 2014.

The previous US administration of Barack Obama froze some military assistance to Thailand to show dissatisfaction at the Thai military’s role in politics.

However, there is no longer a problem with the junta, and the proposal was given US Congress approval in the final quarter of last year, around the same time as Thailand’s 2017 fiscal year began, Chalermchai said.

The arms deal was an integral part of the long-standing security relationship between the US and Thailand, the US Embassy said yesterday.

In the past decade, the US has sold more than US$960 million of military equipment to Thailand, including Black Hawk & Lakota helicopters, air-to-air missile systems, upgrades to Thai F-16s, and multiple naval missile and torpedo systems. The approximate amount of US Foreign Military Sales to Thailand since the 2014 coup is $380 million, it said.

Since January 2017, the US and Thailand have reached agreements on the purchase of more than $133 million in military equipment, including Blackhawk helicopters and Harpoon Block II missiles.

“We will continue to build on our strong defence relationship with Thailand, a relationship based on our mutual security needs and shared commitment to regional security,” said Melissa Sweeney, a spokesperson at the US Embassy.

The purchase of hardware was put forward as Prime Minister Prayut prepared to visit the White House.

While the schedule of the visit has not yet been fixed, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan days ago instructed the military to take stock of its hardware and weapons to enable the premier to discuss arms deal with Trump.

Washington had sent a signal to the military government in Bangkok that the US felt uncomfortable with Thailand making arms deals with China over the past years, a diplomatic source said. Thailand has signed an agreement to buy tanks, armoured personal carrier and submarines from China over the past few years.