Thailand Purchase of F-35 Stealth Jets Depends on US Government, Says Lockheed Martin Executive

F-35B Stealth Fighter Jet of U.S. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 242 performs during the aerial display at the Singapore Airshow, on Feb. 15, 2022. Caroline Chia/Reuters

Thailand’s interest in Lockheed Martin’s F-35 stealth fighters is genuine, but clearance to buy the jets is a matter for the U.S. government, a senior executive from the defense giant said on Wednesday.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow, Tim Cahill, Lockheed Martin’s senior vice president for Global Business, confirmed Thailand had expressed interest, but said there was “nothing official that I am aware of that has come relative to that.”