Monday, November 11, 2024

Thai Air Force returns Swedish Gripen E/F to international trade

In July 2024, the Chief of Staff of the Thai Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Phanphakdee Phattanakul, made public the findings of the evaluation process regarding the acquisition of new fighter aircraft, in a competition between the F -16V from the American Lockheed Martin, and the JAS-39 Gripen E/F from the Swedish Saab.

On this occasion, the general officer indicated that, for the Thai Air Force, the Swedish aircraft appeared to be the preferred model following this 10-month evaluation. The decision, however, was up to the Thai government, and in particular Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang.

After this already strong support for the Gripen E/F, the Thai air forces are doing it again this week, by publicly and unreservedly supporting the Saab single-engine fighter against the American F-16V. On the occasion of the transmission of the official report concerning the evaluation carried out on this subject, they put, for the occasion, the Swedish fighter at the heart of the world market for modern single-engine combat aircraft.

After the disappointment of the F-35A, the Thai Air Force wants to acquire new Saab Gripen E/Fs.

The modernization of the Thai fighter, which today relies on two squadrons of F-5E/TH, three squadrons of F-16 and a squadron of JAS 30 Gripen C/D, is a process launched several years ago.

Thai Air Force JAS 39 Gripen C/D elephant walk
Royal Thai Air Force JAS 39 Gripen C/D elephant walk

This is broken down into three phases: a first, by 2030, to replace the oldest F-16 A/B Block 15, with 12 to 14 new fighters, followed by a second, for 2035, in order to replace the F-5E/TH still in service. Finally, the last F-16 AM/BM block 20 MLU will be replaced from 2035 to 2040.

Saab's Gripen was considered, since the launch of this program, as the favorite of the Thai Air Force, including in the positions taken by Thai military leaders. In 2022, however, Air Chief Marshal Napadej, his new chief of staff, took the opposite view of this position, announcing its decision to acquire F-35As, rather than Gripen.

After a year of procrastination, the United States eventually refused Bangkok's request, offering the F-16V or the F-15EX as substitutes. Indeed, the Thai armed forces had moved significantly closer to the Chinese People's Liberation Army in recent years, not allowing Washington to consider Bangkok as a sufficiently close and reliable ally to allow it to acquire the precious F- 35, just like Japan, South Korea or Singapore.

The frustration passed, and the ACM Napadej replaced by the ACM Phanphakdee Phattanakul, the Thai air forces began a new procedure, to finally begin the first stage of the modernization of the fighter, this time pitting the Swedish Gripen E/F against the American F-16V.

The Thai Air Force throws all its weight behind it to close the door on the Lockheed Martin F-16V

Quickly, the echoes coming from this evaluation procedure suggested that the Swedish fighter was preferred by the Thai air forces. However, the United States appears to have fully invested in support the F-16V, going so far as to offer a leasing solution, which however hardly appealed to Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang.

In fact, the announcement, in July 2024, by the Chief of Staff of the Thai Air Force, of conclusions of the evaluation procedure carried out over 10 months, and the preference given to the JAS-39 Gripen E/F, was not a surprise.

F-35A
Unsurprisingly, the United States refused to sell the F-35A to Bangkok, citing the Thai air force's lack of experience in operating such an advanced aircraft.

What is more important, however, is this second opus of communication from the Thai general staff, on the occasion of the official transmission of the report to the Ministry of Defense on this subject.


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