Thailand air force says U.S. has denied request to buy F-35 jets

FILE PHOTO: A F-35A fighter aircraft rolls on a tarmac during a presentation at the Swiss Air Force base in Emmen, Switzerland March 23, 2022. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo

The United States has declined to sell its F-35 stealth fighter jets to Thailand over issues with training and technical requirements, the Southeast Asian country's air force said on Thursday.

Thailand, which was designated a Major Non-NATO Ally by the United States in 2003, had last year set aside a 13.8 billion baht ($407.68 million) budget for new jets to replace its aging, mostly U.S.-made F-5 and F-16 fighters.