The Royal Thai Air Force has Officially Selected JAS 39 Gripen E/F to be Inducted Into the New Fighter Squadron

28 Agustus 2024

SAAB Gripen E/F fighter (photo: SAAB)

According to the Royal Thai Air Force's implementation of the first phase of the fighter replacement procurement project in the fiscal year 2025-2029 to replace the F-16 A/B (local: Type 19/G) fighter aircraft at Squadron 102, Wing 1, which has been in service since 1988, for more than 36 years, the procurement project is a project that the Royal Thai Air Force places great importance on, as specified in the Royal Thai Air Force Whitepaper 2024, as it is a project that requires a high budget from the people's taxes. Therefore, the committee for selecting and determining the method for procuring the Royal Thai Air Force's replacement fighter aircraft, which was assigned by the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Air Force, realizes that the consideration of the implementation of such a project must be done with great care and attention, in order to create value for the procurement of fighter aircraft to perform national defense missions for at least another 30 years.

The replacement fighter aircraft must be aircraft with better capabilities than the fighter aircraft currently in service with the Royal Thai Air Force. It is appropriate in terms of commonality and continuity. It can be further developed according to the strategies of the Royal Thai Air Force and the Royal Thai Army in the future. It also requires the implementation of the Offset Policy to develop towards sustainable self-reliance, enhance economic value, and increase Thailand's competitive opportunities in the international arena.

Thailand expects to gain economic benefits of 130% of the project value or 78,000,000,000,000 if supplied to the 12 items targeted by the manufacturers (infographic: TAF)

From the above important principles and considerations, the Model Selection Committee has determined detailed steps and criteria for consideration, taking more than 10 months to complete. Therefore, it can be concluded that the JAS 39 Gripen E/F fighter jet has the capability to meet the strategic needs according to the principles and strategies of the Royal Thai Air Force, and is also independent in use. It can be further developed to increase the potential for multi-domain operations between the Royal Thai Air Force, the Royal Thai Army, the Royal Thai Navy, and various security agencies under the concept of network-centric operations effectively in the future, and is in line with the budget framework that the Royal Thai Air Force has been allocated, as well as proposals according to the policy of offsetting the import of military equipment, both directly to create opportunities for the development of the defense industry leading to self-reliance, to raise standards to the international level, and indirectly to provide scholarships to personnel abroad, both within the Royal Thai Air Force and the general public, to have advanced knowledge and skills, Including the transfer of environmental and agricultural technology, as well as the creation of innovation centers that lead to increased productivity in generating income and increasing Thailand's competitiveness to further develop the economy in various aspects in the long term.

The Air Force would like to assure the people that the project to procure the JAS 39 Gripen E/F fighter jet will be worthwhile for the budget received from the people's taxes, transparent, verifiable and efficient. This will lead to the acquisition of high-performance equipment for use in protecting sovereignty and preserving national interests in the air, and can effectively respond to threats in the current and future environments, in accordance with the budget status and national development guidelines in accordance with the government's policies.

Public Relations Division

Office of Civil Affairs and Public Relations

Department of Civil Affairs, Royal Thai Air Force

(RTAF via TAF)