Thailand Approves Purchase of Four Swedish Gripen Fighter Jets in $600 Million Deal
The agreement was first announced in June as part of a long-term military upgrade.
Bangkok — Thailand has approved the purchase of four Swedish-made Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets, the Royal Thai Air Force confirmed on Tuesday. The $600 million deal, aimed at modernizing the country’s combat capabilities, comes just a week after a ceasefire was reached following deadly border clashes with Cambodia.
The agreement was first announced in June as part of a long-term military upgrade. The recent conflict, which lasted five days and claimed more than 40 lives, saw Thailand deploy its aging fleet of F-16s in cross-border strikes.
“The cabinet has approved the purchase of JAS 39 Saab Gripen to strengthen the Royal Thai Air Force and protect Thailand’s sovereignty,” the air force announced via its official Facebook page.
A procurement committee had been reviewing the purchase since August last year. After a 10-month evaluation, the committee opted for the Scandinavian jets over the newer American F-16s.
Read more: Massive Aerial Clash: PAF Delivers Stunning Blow to Indian Rafale Jets from 200km Away
Thailand already operates 11 Gripen jets from a previous procurement, in addition to dozens of F-16s acquired during the 1980s.
The country’s total defense budget currently stands at 200 billion baht (approximately $6 billion), which supports the army, navy, and air force.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.