Two Royal Thai Air Force F-16s crashed during the US-Thai Cobra Gold military exercise currently underway in Thailand. Both pilots, assigned to the RTAF’s Wing One, ejected safely, reported the Bangkok Post. The F-16s were part of a four-ship sortie flying from Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base on Monday when they disappeared from radar north of the base and crashed into a wooded area in neighboring Chaiyaphum province, according to the newspaper. The Thais are launching a board of enquiry into the incident. This year’s Cobra Gold, which runs through Friday, is the 30th annual multi-service exercise between the US and Thailand, with Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, and Singaporean forces participating. The accident is reportedly the first since Thailand took delivery of F-16s in 2002.
As the Trump Administration puts finishing touches on the 2026 defense budget, the F-35 Joint Program Office has issued a statement explaining what all is included in its $2.1 trillion, 94-year program cost estimate. The JPO said it wants to put costs in context, presumably for budgeteers and those not…