In the mid-1980s, Thailand began to form a modern fighter fleet to replace aging aircraft and strengthen its Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF). In April 1985, the Thai government began negotiations with the United States for the purchase of new aircraft. This resulted in the Peace Naresuan Program, under which an agreement was signed in December 1987 for the delivery of 12 fighters: eight single-seat F-16A Block 15 OCU (Operational Capability Upgrade) and four two-seat F-16B of the same modification. The first aircraft arrived in Thailand in 1988. The successful introduction of the initial batch became an incentive for the expansion of the program and subsequent deliveries, which continued until 2005. In 2010, it was decided to implement the Mid-Life Update (MLU) program for 18 of the latest aircraft (from the Peace Naresuan III batch), extending their service life to 2040. Subsequently, however, the country began replacing its aging F-16s with the more modern JAS39 Gripen.

Introduced in Update "Storm Warning", the F-16A OCU is a true multirole aircraft, which, thanks to a wide range of weaponry, is capable of performing both fighter and attack missions. The aircraft's arsenal includes a variety of active radar homing and infrared homing air-to-air missiles, including the classic American AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9 Sidewinder, as well as the Israeli Python 3. For ground support, the ability to mount the ATLIS II targeting pod and use Paveway II laser-guided bombs or AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles is provided. The only notable drawback of the F-16A OCU is its limited maneuverability at high speeds.