Thailand orders Saab Gripen E/F fighters

The Royal Thai Air Force has placed an order for the Gripen E/F fighter aircraft it had selected in June.

Gripen manufacturer Saab announced the order on Monday, saying ‘Saab has today signed a contract with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) and received an order for four Gripen E/F fighter aircraft from FMV for the Kingdom of Thailand. The order value is approximately SEK 5.3 billion (around $550 million) and deliveries will take place 2025-2030.’

Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson said on Twitter, “Today, Sweden and Thailand have signed an agreement on the procurement of 4 JAS Gripen E/F. Thailand wants to buy 12 new fighter jets and Sweden has offered 12 Gripen E/F to Thailand. This is the first contract and more purchases can be set to follow.”

President and CEO of Saab, Micael Johansson, said in the statement, “We welcome Thailand as the latest customer for Gripen E/F. Thailand is already a well-established Gripen user and familiar with the strengths that Gripen brings to the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Thailand has chosen the most modern fighter on the market with which to build its next generation of strategic, independent capabilities.”

Saab said in its statement, ‘The contract between Saab and FMV includes three Gripen E and one Gripen F aircraft as well as associated equipment, support and training.’ The Gripen F is the two-seat version of the advanced Gripen E fighter.

Jonson said on Monday, ‘This agreement creates long-term capability, a stronger partnership and deeper defence cooperation between Thailand and Sweden.’

The Saab statement said, ‘Saab has also signed a contract with the Royal Thai Air Force to deliver a long-term offset package to Thailand as part of the fighter acquisition plan. This will include significant transfer of defence technology and industrial cooperation with Thailand together with new investments across many sectors of the national economy.’

Saab said the Royal Thai Air Force ‘currently operates one squadron of Gripen C/D multi-role fighters’ and the new Gripen E/F fighters will ‘operate alongside Thailand’s existing Gripen fighter force.

A border skirmish over disputed territory that broke about between Thailand and Cambodia in May escalated into a diplomatic brawl that led to clashes in July, with dozens of people killed and hundreds of thousand displaced.

The Royal Thai Air Force had deployed its F-16 and Gripen fighters again Cambodian targets in the border conflict.