Royal Thai Air Force - Gripen
The Royal Thai Air Force announced 27 August 2024 the selection of the Swedish JAS 39 Gripen E/F to be included in the new fighter-attack squadron, indicating that it won in providing independence in data link and offset policy, confirming that it meets the most tactical and strategic requirements, has independence in use, and can be further developed to increase the potential of Multi-Domain Operations. The armed forces confirm that the use of public taxes is transparent and auditable.
The results of the selection of the new fighter jet squadron of the Royal Thai Air Force came out with a victory for SAAB Sweden when the Gripen E/F received an evaluation score from the RTAF committee, which included both F-16 pilots and those who flew the Gripen, which can be called a landslide victory. But what was unexpected was that no matter how hard the US tried in the final stretch, it could not change the original decision of the RTAF.
Despite being a superpower and the owner of the original fleet, the F16, which is about to be decommissioned from Wing 1 in Nakhon Ratchasima, the United States cannot maintain the fleet in this area because in the future, Gripen aircraft will be stationed here. The US has gone as far as offering a long-term loan and reducing interest rates from 5% to 4.5%, with a 12-year repayment period and providing financing for a full fleet of 16 aircraft. And US Defense Secretary General Lloyd Austin spoke with Defense Secretary Suthin Klangsaeng and invited him to visit the Pentagon for talks in early August 2024. However, the Air Force had already concluded the scoring, which soured the atmosphere and could cause the US effort to be halted in the middle.
In the matter where SAAB is superior to the US, it is the Network Centric system that connects the 3 armed forces and the Datalink that allows the RTAF to manage itself independently. Compared to the F-16, no matter what it does, it must first request permission from the US for everything. It is not independent. and reciprocal trade according to the government's off-set policy and Prime Minister Sathit Thaveesin who wants the military's weapons procurement to benefit the country and the people economically as well. Whereas SAAB Sweden has offered a long-term investment package worth a total of over 100 billion baht, or approximately 150% of the procurement budget. As the US is at a significant disadvantage in this regard, as it is a military assistance procurement program, FMS focuses on military assistance and training that benefits the military but does not provide any investment or economic returns in return.
The special committee meeting to consider the draft of the 2025 budget bill of the House of Representatives, chaired by Ms. Manop Jareonsri, Deputy Minister of Transport, as the 5th Vice Chairwoman of the committee, began 10 July 2024 to consider Section 6 of the Ministry of Defense and its affiliated agencies. Before the meeting, Air Chief Marshal Panphakdee Pattanakul, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Air Force, spoke about the progress of the selection of a new fighter jet between the Gripen E/F from the Swedish company SABB and the F-16 Block 70 from Lockheed Martin, USA. He said that he had discussed it with Mr. Sutin Khlangsaeng, Minister of Defense, 9 July, and explained the selection of the two fighter jets to Mr. Sutin, stating the advantages, disadvantages of each type, and what he would receive from the manufacturers.
On July 26, 2024, Captain Anudit Nakornthap, former Minister of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and former commander of the 102nd Interceptor Squadron (F-16), Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), posted a message on Facebook under the topic “EP 2: Compensation Policy and Strong Industry Participation Proposal from Lockheed Martin”, which is a follow-up on the procurement of fighter jets to replace the old fleet that will be decommissioned in fiscal year 2025, a budget of over 19 billion baht of the RTAF, part 2. The gist of the matter is about the proposals of Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-16 fighter jet , which had previously announced an economic offset proposal and a robust industrial participation proposal for Thailand (Offset / a robust industrial participation proposal) in 7 points. Wing Commander Anudith thought that all the proposals sounded good, but he wanted the RTAF and the responsible agencies, especially the procurement committee, to ask for details of each proposal clearly in all aspects and communicate to the public for transparency.
“The most important thing and absolutely no shortcomings is that the Thai government must negotiate for all proposals to be compensated in various forms that are calculated to be no less than or more than the budget we have to spend. Any country that has clear proposals that can be calculated and are tangible is worth cheering for,” said Wing Commander Anudit.
On 27 August 2024, the Air Force has implemented the first phase of the fighter aircraft replacement procurement project in the fiscal year 2025-2029 to replace the Type 19/K or F-16 A/B fighter aircraft at Squadron 102, Wing 1, which has been in service since 1988, more than 36 years. The said procurement project is a project that the Air Force places great importance on.
Air Chief Marshal Panphakdi Pattanakul, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Air Force (C-in-C) explained July 10, 2024 to the Special Committee on Budget Consideration for Fiscal Year 2025 at the Parliament that the project to purchase a new squadron of fighter jets worth 19.5 billion baht to replace the F-16s of Squadron 103. Currently, the Royal Thai Air Force has 5 squadrons of fighter jets, 3 of which will be decommissioned from 2028-2032: F-16s, the government will decide on Squadron 21 and Squadron 23, but with the country’s economic conditions and the technology of modern aircraft, the Royal Thai Air Force has a plan in the white paper to purchase only 1 squadron of aircraft to replace it, which is currently under consideration and selection according to the process.
"We considered 20 types of aircraft and narrowed it down to 6 types, which have the best performance because we will need them for no less than 30 years, can protect our sovereignty, and are within the potential to procure. There are 2 types that will be considered: F-16 Block 70/72, which differ only in the engine, Pat & Whitney or GE, and Gripen E/F. Currently, all documents are being reviewed and are being submitted to the Minister of Defense," said the Air Force chief.
As specified in the RTAF Whitepaper 2024, because it is a project that requires a high budget from the people's taxes, the committee for selecting the type and determining the method for procuring the replacement fighter aircraft for the Air Force, which was assigned by the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Air Force, is aware that the consideration of implementing such a project must be done with meticulous care in order to create value for the procurement of fighter aircraft for carrying out national defense missions for at least another 30 years.
Gripen C/D
The Royal Thai Air Force procured an integrated air defence system with Gripen C/D, the ERIEYE airborne early warning system and a Command and Control C2 system including data link communication. In combination with bilateral Co-operation mainly focused on technology transfer, this will provide Thailand with the foundation for an advanced network based defence system.
In 2008, Thailand ordered a complete aircraft and command and control system from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) in a Government to Government deal. The order includes a first batch of six Gripen C/D with associated equipment and service, one Saab 340 aircraft equipped with Erieye radar (AEW), a Saab 340 for transport and training plus an integrated command and control system with data links. A further batch of six Gripen C fighters and another Saab 340 Erieye AEW was ordered in 2010. Deliveries of the second RTAF order would be completed in 2013.
The first Thai Gripen aircraft made its maiden flight on 16 September 2009 and Thai pilots, technicians and aviation mechanics responsible for maintenance and support of the aircraft started their training at the Armed Force Technical School (Air Force) in Halmstad and at F 7 Såtenäs. Ten technicians have been trained in Sweden for a year and graduated in June 2011. The first part of the course was conducted at the Armed Forces Technical School (Air Force) in Halmstad. There, the basic technical knowledge of aircraft and its various subsystems. The second part of the training was carried out at F 7 Wing at Såtenäs, Sweden. Then it was all about hands-on training in how aircraft should be handled in the daily service, with preparation and maintenance work.
The Royal Thai Air Force received six of the latest version Gripen C/D multirole fighter aircraft at the beginning of 2011. One ERIEYE Airborne Early Warning radar system aboard a Saab 340 aircraft and one additional Saab 340 aircraft will be delivered in December 2010. One Command and Control C2 system including equipment for three ground based Radio sites were delivered in March 2011. During a ceremony on July 8, 2011 the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) officially declared its new air defence system consisting of the Gripen fighter and Saab 340 Erieye AEW operational. The ceremony took place at the Wing 7 base in Surat Thani.
On 20 October 2015 the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society (SPAS), a non-government organization (NGO), filed a police complaint in Stockholm alleging major corruption in sales of Swedish-built Gripen fighter-bombers to Thailand. SPAS is the world’s oldest and Scandinavia’s largest peace organisation. It was formed in 1883 by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Klas Pontus Arnoldson.
Like most defense contracts, however, the specifics of the warplane sale are secret, which is why the Saab-to-Thailand sale of Gripen aircraft never got much tight scrutiny. The first contract between the Thai defense ministry and the Swedish government's arms sale division Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) was in 2008, for six Gripen. A second contract in 2010 covered the purchase by Thailand of an additional six planes, and training "scholarships" for 37 officers of the Royal Thai Air Force.
On 30 September 2015 Blank Spot Project published an article "När diktaturen fick köpa Jasplan" revealing that 37 Thai officers had been offered education at Swedish universities as a part of the Jas Gripen deal. If there is a close connection between the grantees and the military junta it could be a case of bribery according to the National Anti-Corruption Unit and the Anti-Corruption Institute (IMM).
"We know that the international arms trade often is connected with corruption, despite the fact that companies and authorities deny it. The fact that Thai officers have been offered free university education as part of the Jas deal could be a bribe. We believe that this must be investigated," said Anna Ek, SPAS.
The total price of the 12-plane deal was 34.4 billion Thai baht, worth at the time about $1.08 billion. The Gripen are based at the Surat Thani airbase in the Thai south, where they replaced a depleted and rapidly ageing squadron of F5 fighters. The PAS group now alleges that neither the government's FMV nor Saab Swedish firm disclosed the scholarship deals to the public. Swedish authorities stated that no agreements on offset have been signed related to these transactions.
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