The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has received cabinet approval to acquire four Saab JAS 39 Gripen E/F multirole fighter jets from Sweden. The procurement marks a significant step in modernizing Thailand’s ageing combat air fleet and reflects Bangkok’s deeper strategic realignment amidst escalating border activity and evolving regional power dynamics.
The announcement was confirmed through the RTAF’s official Facebook page on Monday, stating, “Saab JAS 39 Gripen E/F ready to take off.” The post emphasized that the newly approved procurement will replace ageing platforms and elevate Thailand’s capacity to maintain air superiority over its sovereign airspace.
According to the RTAF, the acquisition is the first phase of a long-term force modernization roadmap that will span over a decade, ultimately transitioning the air force into a digital-era force capable of network-centric warfare, stealth counter-operations, and integrated air defence.
Air Chief Marshal Punpakdee Pattanakul, Commander-in-Chief of the RTAF, is scheduled to visit Sweden from August 23 to 27 to finalize the agreement with Saab, Sweden’s primary aerospace and defence contractor. The visit is a symbolic and strategic reaffirmation of the enduring defence ties between Bangkok and Stockholm—ties that date back to 2008 when Thailand became the first Asian country to adopt the Gripen fighter platform.
That initial USD 1.1 billion deal included 12 JAS 39C/D aircraft, two Saab 340 AEW&C aircraft, and comprehensive training, support, and network integration. Since then, the Gripen system has been central to Thailand’s air defence infrastructure, particularly around Wing 7 in Surat Thani, where the aircraft are integrated with surveillance, radar, and early warning assets across the southern air corridor.
One of the 12 original Gripen C/D fighters was tragically lost in a 2017 airshow crash, leaving 10 operational. These aircraft remain in frontline service and have recently seen deployments near the Thai-Cambodian frontier amid a series of military drills and heightened tensions, sparking regional and international scrutiny.
Thailand’s renewed procurement effort faced turbulence earlier this year when reports emerged from outlets like Breaking Defense suggesting that Swedish authorities were hesitant to approve further Gripen exports to Thailand. The hesitation was reportedly linked to the interpretation of recent Thai Air Force operations near the Cambodian border as the platform’s first “combat deployment.”
While Thai authorities asserted that the operations were strictly defensive, with no violations of Cambodian airspace, the optics raised concerns within Sweden’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard stated, “The government is closely monitoring developments in the border conflict,” stopping short of confirming or denying an export suspension.
To quell rumours, the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok issued a strong statement clarifying: “There has been no decision taken to suspend further Gripen sales to Thailand.” The Embassy reaffirmed Sweden’s commitment to bilateral defence cooperation and denied any freeze on defence technology transfers.
With this clarification, the acquisition process was able to proceed smoothly, culminating in the Thai cabinet’s formal approval and the upcoming delegation visit to Sweden.
Thailand’s selection of the Gripen E/F variant marks a major technological leap in Southeast Asia’s evolving airpower race. The Gripen E—along with the two-seat F variant—is Saab’s most advanced fighter to date, tailored for modern air combat environments marked by stealth threats, cyber-electronic warfare, and data-intensive operations.
At the heart of the Gripen E is the Leonardo UK-developed Raven ES-05 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system. With wide-angle scanning, multi-target tracking of over 20 aircraft simultaneously, and superior jamming resistance, the radar rivals those found on fifth-generation aircraft like the F-35 and Chinese J-20.
Complementing this is the Skyward-G Infrared Search and Track (IRST) system, which enables passive tracking of enemy aircraft by detecting heat signatures. The system is especially effective against stealth fighters, which often have reduced radar cross-sections but remain vulnerable to IR detection.
Gripen E’s ability to carry the MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM)—considered the most advanced missile in its class—gives the RTAF an unmatched long-range engagement capability. Powered by a ramjet propulsion system, the Meteor maintains high energy levels throughout its flight, enabling dynamic target pursuit at distances over 200 km.
In close combat, the aircraft will also be armed with IRIS-T short-range missiles, along with compatibility for GBU-39 small diameter bombs, RBS-15 anti-ship missiles, and various electronic warfare pods, giving it full-spectrum engagement capacity across air, sea, and land domains.
Despite its cutting-edge capabilities, one of the Gripen E’s strongest selling points remains its operational affordability. Saab estimates a cost per flight hour of just USD 4,700—less than half of the F-16 and far more economical than fifth-generation platforms like the F-35 or Dassault Rafale.
This positions the Gripen E as a practical solution for countries like Thailand that require constant readiness, high sortie rates, and broad geographic coverage without straining defence budgets.
The aircraft is designed with short-field performance in mind, allowing takeoff and landing on roads or austere airstrips with minimal logistical support—key advantages in Southeast Asia’s fragmented terrain, where dispersal and rapid redeployment are critical.
More than just a standalone platform, the Gripen E is a tactical node in a broader Network-Centric Warfare (NCW) ecosystem. It features a secure Tactical Data Link (TDL) compatible with NATO-standard Link-16, as well as regional communications protocols that facilitate real-time data exchange between aircraft, ground control, naval vessels, and AWACS platforms.
This will enhance Thailand’s ability to conduct joint operations with regional allies, including the United States, South Korea, Australia, and ASEAN defence partners, ensuring greater deterrence and coordination in crisis scenarios.
Saab’s open-architecture philosophy also allows the RTAF to modify the aircraft for future upgrades, integration of third-party systems, and adaptation to evolving regional threats, providing Bangkok with unprecedented strategic flexibility.
In addition to the aircraft themselves, the procurement package is expected to include a technology transfer and industrial participation agreement. This will likely involve enhancements to Thailand’s domestic C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence) infrastructure, joint training programs, and expanded maintenance support for local engineers and technicians.
Such arrangements not only boost domestic aerospace capacity but also enhance strategic autonomy—an increasingly critical goal as Thailand navigates between the gravitational pulls of the United States and China in an increasingly bipolar Indo-Pacific.
By sourcing fighters from a European non-aligned partner like Sweden, Thailand is ensuring that it does not become overly dependent on any one geopolitical bloc, while still securing access to cutting-edge Western technology.
With a maximum takeoff weight of 16.5 tonnes, top speed of Mach 2, and a combat radius of over 1,500 kilometres (with external fuel tanks), the Gripen E gives the RTAF extended operational reach. This enables persistent coverage over sensitive regions such as the South China Sea, Andaman Sea, and the Gulf of Thailand, while also providing quick response capabilities to border incidents or grey-zone incursions.
As other countries in the region—such as Indonesia (with its KF-21 project), Malaysia (acquiring FA-50 and likely Rafale or Typhoon platforms), and Vietnam (exploring Su-75 or Western options)—pursue their own modernization agendas, Thailand’s Gripen E purchase signals a clear intent to remain a dominant regional airpower.
