Although there is no signed contract yet, according to a statement from the Thai Air Force on August 27, it is likely that Saab is likely to send the new edition of its Gripen to Sweden and Brazil (-> Saab production aircraft arrive in Brazil), Saab may have won a third customer.
According to the RTAF statement the Air Force Selection Committee under RTAF Commander Air Chief Marshal Phanphakdee Phattanakul “spent ten months weighing all options” before deciding on the JAS 39 Gripen E/F. It is said to be able to “best meet the requirements of military doctrine and air force strategy”. The selection of the Gripen E/F is also likely to have been based on other considerations, including industrial cooperation in the processing of the order.
Saab sounds self-confident
There is currently also a US offer – supported by an “aggressive” financing offer – for F-16 Block-70/72s (with P&W or GE engines, as desired) from Lockheed Martinbut a Saab spokesman told Reuters: “I can confirm that the Thai Air Force has indicated its desire to purchase Gripen fighter jets. This is of course very positive for Saab and for Sweden, and we look forward to continuing our discussions with the Royal Thai Air Force and the authorities about future fighter capabilities for Thailand. The Gripen E/F brings significant advances in capability that make it almost a completely new aircraft compared to its predecessor.”
A possible deal with Thailand was also discussed at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT, -> Highlights of RIAT and Farnborough Air Show) at the end of July. Talks with the Philippines were also confirmed there with regard to the Gripen E/F.
The final decision on the purchase is still dependent on the approval of the Thai cabinet and the approval of the next Thai defense minister. Prior to this, the newly elected government under Prime Minister and billionaire Paethongtarn Shinawatra (who holds 21 company shares with a total value of around 1.85 billion euros), who was only elected on August 18, still has to form a complete cabinet.
Both types in service in older versions
The RTAF has a budget of around 19 billion baht (just over 500 million euros) for the 2025 financial year; the budget was passed in the first reading in June, with the second and third readings scheduled for early September. According to the previously announced RTAF plans, the new aircraft are to be purchased in the 2025 financial year, but delivery – and probably also payment – is to be stretched out from 2028 to 2034. It is currently unclear how many Gripen E/Fs Thailand intends to buy, with earlier reports suggesting an immediate requirement of 12 to 14 new fighter jets. In addition, a similar number of aircraft will be needed again from the 2037 financial year to replace further F-16s.
In any case, the RTAF is familiar with both types and their predecessor variants. There are currently eleven Gripen (seven single-seat Gripen C and four twin-seat Grien D) in the inventory, which were procured in two separate batches in February 2008 and November 2010. These jets have recently been upgraded to the latest MS20 configuration and have anti-ship capability with the RBS 15 anti-ship missile, also from Saab. The Thai Gripen are also integrated into a national data link system, the Link-T, which was also specially developed by Sweden. This links to two Saab 340 turboprop aircraft equipped with the Erieye early warning and control radar (AEW&C). In January 2017, a C single-seater was lost in an accident.
The US share of the RTAF fighter fleet currently consists of 36 single-seat F-16As and 14 two-seat F-16Bs. Between 1988 and 2003, a total of 52 F-16A/Bs were delivered by the USA as part of a total of four FMS orders. These included 16 ADFs from US Air Force stocks (-> current news about the US armed forces). In addition, seven further F-16A/Bs were donated by Singapore in 2005.
If it goes ahead as announced, the new Gripen E/Fs will initially replace the oldest F-16s from 1988, which are operated by 102 Squadron in Korat. Even older are 31 single-seat F-5Es and three two-seat F-5F Tiger IIs, which are operated by Elbit and Rafael have been modernized.
Chinese 🇨🇳 pilots conduct flight training in the airspace above Thailand’s 🇹🇭 Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base ahead of Falcon Strike 2024 exercise
The joint Exercise is being held from August 18 -29. Subscribe to @ResonantNews pic.twitter.com/Exr9BbxI2Q – crimsonbearz (@crimsonbearz) August 20, 2024
No Chinese access
Thailand maintains good relations with the USA – but also with the People’s Republic of China. These have become quite “intimate” in recent years and – unlike some other Asian states – there are no territorial disputes with Beijing. As a result, there is deeper military cooperation, including joint air exercises and increased weapons transfers – most recently “Falcon Strike 2024” this month, with J-10s in Udorn. The US is prohibited from participating in exercises with the Chinese military using F-16s and F-5s. However, this restriction does not apply to the Gripen.
