PACOM COMMANDER ADM FALLON MEETING WITH ROYAL THAI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 003130

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/03/2015
TAGS: OVIP PGOV MARR MASS TH IRAQ POL MIL
SUBJECT: PACOM COMMANDER ADM FALLON MEETING WITH ROYAL THAI
SUPREME COMMAND


Classified By: Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce. Reason 1.4 (a and d)


1. (C) SUMMARY. In a May 3 meeting with Royal Thai
Supreme Commander GEN Chaisit Shinawatra, PACOM Commander ADM
William Fallon pressed for an answer to CJCS Gen. Myers
letter requesting Thailand to send staff officers to man the
multinational headquarters for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).
Chaisit suggested that the delay in response was due to
Thailand recently naming a new Defense Minister and suggested
the U.S. raise the point again with MOD. ADM Fallon also
urged Thailand to select the F-16 in its ongoing fighter
aircraft competition. The Deputy Supreme Commander from the
Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) agreed that the F-16 made more
sense for Thailand than either the Swedish Gripen or the
Russian SU-30. The RTAF hopes the United States will
continue to support the annual Cope Tiger joint/combined air
exercise. The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) asked for help in
upgrading Utapao Royal Thai Naval Air Station. ADM Fallon
agreed to send a team to Utapao to look at possible
improvements that would benefit both U.S. and Thai uses of
the facility. The Royal Thai military also seeks help in
counter terrorism training and equipment. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) ADM Fallon began the meeting by noting the
importance of military-to-military relations between the
United States and Thailand and explaining that he scheduled
his first visit to Thailand early in his tenure as Pacific
Commander to reinforce the importance of our bilateral
relationship. GEN Chaisit echoed Fallon's comments about the
importance of our relationship, calling our ties
"unbreakable." Chaisit then turned to his senior service
member staff, asking them to outline key issues of concern.

SERVICE PRIORITIES: ROYAL THAI AIR FORCE WANTS TO KEEP COPE
TIGER


3. (C) ACM Anubhund Snidwongse, Deputy Supreme Commander,
began by explaining the importance the RTAF places on our
largest annual joint/combined air exercise, Cope Tiger.
Anubhund explained that Cope Tiger is a multinational
exercise involving Singapore that offers training
opportunities for Thai and American pilots unavailable
elsewhere. While appreciative of regular invitations from
the United States to participate in the Cope Thunder air
exercise in Alaska, Anubhund said that Thai pilots learn more
by training in environments similar to those at home.
Anubhund also suggested that Cope Tiger affords American
pilots the benefits of practicing maneuvers over terrain that
is different from what they encounter in the United States.


4. (C) ADM Fallon explained that he had ordered his staff
to make a comprehensive overview of all exercises under PACOM
control. While noting the importance he places on using
exercises to give his flag officers command opportunities,
ADM Fallon stressed the equal benefits joint/combined
exercises afford U.S. forces by improving tactical abilities
and strengthening cooperation with allies. He also noted his
desire to expand joint training in combined exercises to
improve service integration. He assured Anubhund that, as he
gathered information from his staff, he would also seek input
from Thai service commanders through JUSMAGTHAI and DAO to
make sure he was also aware of their training priorities.
Speaking as a naval aviator, ADM Fallon said he was well
aware of the benefits gained from training with other
countries. He also noted the importance of pilots becoming
familiar with new technologies that have revolutionized air
warfare. He mentioned a recent opportunity he had had to
test fly an F-14D that was compatible with the Joint Tactical
Information Distribution System (JTIDS),which integrates
communication, navigation and identification codes for
multi-service use. JTIDS and similar technologies, ADM
Fallon explained, allow pilots to get a real picture of the
entire battlefield and make decisions they could not make
before. It will be even more important in the future, ADM
Fallon suggested, for allies to improve familiarity and
integration of technologies that have improved the pilot's
awareness of the battlefield, and thus aircraft like the F-16
which have these capabilities make sense as Thailand looks to
the future.

ROYAL THAI NAVY WANTS TO IMPROVE UTAPAO FACILITIES


5. (C) ADM Satirapan Keyanon, Deputy Supreme Commander,
pointed out that much of the equipment at Utapao Royal Thai
Naval Air Station is old. Compounding problems, the RTN's
maintenance budget had not been sufficient to keep pace with
needed improvements, especially upgrades to the air traffic
control systems. Satirapan noted that transiting U.S.
aircraft land at Utapao almost daily and that Utapao was the
hub for U.S. relief efforts during the tsunami crisis. He
expressed hope that PACOM could help the RTN improve Utapao.
ADM Fallon thanked the RTN for allowing the use of Utapao
during the tsunami aftermath and agreed to dispatch a small
team to look at Utapao and to share ideas with RTN experts.
Satirapan was visibly pleased and said he looked forward to
welcoming the team.

THAIS WANT HELP FIGHTING TERRORISM


6. (C) GEN Boonsrang Niumpradit, RTSC Chief of Staff, said
that the Thai military's most pressing need was for improved
training and equipment to counter terrorism. ADM Fallon
expressed his view that redirecting training to create more
agile and quick-thinking units that can seize opportunities
rapidly was his top training priority. He emphasized that
such training was more important than anything else we could
do to beat terrorism. He also emphasized the need to improve
intelligence cooperation and suggested that this was an area
where the United States might offer even more assistance.
Boonsrang welcomed the news and expressed his hope that
subject matter expert meetings on intelligence might be set
up soon. Chaisit agreed indicating his J2 could work to
facilitate better information exchanges.

IRAQ


7. (C) ADM Fallon reminded Chaisit that CJCS Gen. Myers had
sent a letter to Thailand asking them to contribute staff
officers to man the multinational headquarters for OIF.
Chaisit acknowledged his Government's delay in responding,
suggesting that the delay was due to the recent cabinet
reshuffle that named GEN Thamarak Isarangura Na Ayutthaya as
Defense Minister. Chaisit ssaid an answer might be coming
shortly from the Defense Minister. In a pull-aside with
PolMilOff later, GEN Boonsrang suggested that the U.S. should
press this issue with Thamarak soon to get a response.

F-16


8. (C) ADM Fallon told Chaisit that, from an
interoperability standpoint, the F-16 was the best choice for
Thailand to make in its ongoing competition to select a new
fighter aircraft. ACM Anubhund agreed, saying that he
personally would much rather have an American plane than a
Swedish or Russian one and that the F-16 makes more sense for
the RTAF from a logistics and pilot training standpoint as
well. (NOTE. Anubhund's comments echo those we've heard
from other RTAF officers -- if the decision were left up to
the RTAF, the F-16 would win easily. However, pressure from
the Commerce Ministry and the Prime Minister's office may
result in the procurement decision being made for business
reasons, not military ones. END NOTE.)

THAI-TAC


9. (C) LTG Kemarat Kanchanawat, RTSC J3, told ADM Fallon
that Thai-TAC, our annual bilateral military-to-military
talks, would take place in Honolulu this year. He pledged to
work to make Thai-TAC more strategic in focus, to include
discussion of facilities like the Interagency Intelligence
Fusion Center in Northern Thailand and the possible
construction of a Maritime Operations Intelligence Fusion
Center focused on the Andaman Sea.


10. (U) ADM Fallon has cleared this message.
BOYCE