Thailand Proceeds With 12 Gripen E/F Procurement

THE Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) confirmed it will procure 12 Saab JAS 39 Gripen E/F fighter aircraft, with its chief Air Chief Marshal Punpakdee Pattanakul stating that the service will proceed with an initial batch of four Gripens, comprising three single-seat Gripen Es and one two-seater Gripen F.

The first phase would run from 2025 to 2029 with a budget of US$596 million, to which ACM Punpakdee said a contract is expected to be signed this August should the plan be greenlit by the cabinet. At this point Saab has not signed a contract nor received an order relating to this announcement.

A Saab statement read, “In addition to Gripen E/F fighter aircraft and associated equipment, Saab’s offer also includes a long-term offset package. This will benefit the national security and strategic independence of Thailand, while also bringing new jobs and investments to a range of Thai society sectors. The details are yet to be determined.”

Saab’s President and CEO Micael Johansson added, “We welcome the RTAF’s selection of Gripen E/F as its future fighter and look forward to the next steps in this procurement process. Gripen E/F is the best solution to provide Thailand with independent airpower for the future which will contribute significantly to the nation’s safety and security.”

This concludes the RTAF’s long journey to increasing its fleet strength after the US denied the kingdom’s request to purchase the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning in 2023 for replacing ageing aircraft. The RTAF had previously examined 22 different jets before narrowing down the candidates to the Swedish Gripen E/F and the American F-16 Block 70, both platforms which are already in RTAF inventory. The Gripens would be armed with MBDA’s METEOR beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles (BVRAAM), one of the most lethal BVR missiles on the market today.

The RTAF detailed the 14 offset policies in the deal, consisting of 7 direct and 7 indirect offsets. Among them, Saab’s offer for RTAF access to its tactical data link would provide the air force with an advantageous edge in the future, with plans to further develop their own version of the data link called Link T reportedly already in the works. Furthermore, it included complete upgrades of the air force’s Saab 340 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft without charge. The upgrades would typically cost an estimated US$146 million.

As Thailand and countries in the region continue its acquisitions, major international defence companies are set to gather at the 12th Defense & Security 2025 to be held this November 10-13 at Bangkok’s IMPACT Exhibition Centre in Muang Thong Thani. Defense & Security has been one of the longest running defence exhibitions since its inception two decades ago, gathering regional leaders and global industry powerhouses.-shp/adj/dl (Pix:SAAB RTAF)