Royal Thai Air Force Reportedly Plans to Buy New Fighter Jets from Sweden After Getting Rejected By The US

PHOTO: The Nation

National —

After the US recently refused to sell F-35A fighter jets to the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), the RTAF has reportedly modified its plans and will now seek to acquire the aircraft from Sweden.

According to a source, the RTAF aims to procure three additional Gripen jet fighters from Sweden to add to its fleet in Wing 7 in Surat Thani province after losing one in a crash. The air force had previously bought 12 Gripens, which cost about 2 billion baht each.

Additionally, Sweden will not only provide the air force with the desired fighter jets but will also upgrade a radar system.

The radar system, which has been in service for a decade, will undergo a major update at an estimated cost of 4 billion baht, according to a source.

The source further revealed that the RTAF’s commander-in-chief, ACM Alongkorn Wannarot, has not yet formed a panel to assess and choose the successor to the kingdom’s F-16 fighter jets, which have served for three decades.

Despite the United States’ suggestion for the RTAF to consider acquiring 4.5-generation fighter jets like the F-16 Block 70 and F-15, the current budget for the fiscal year 2024 falls short of the amount required to enter into a contractual agreement for such a procurement.

The original version of this article appeared on our sister website, The Pattaya News, owned by our parent company TPN media.

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Tanakorn Panyadee
The Latest Local News Translator at The Pattaya News. Aim is a twenty-two year old who currently lives and studies his last year of college in Bangkok. Interested in English translation, story-telling, and entrepreneurship, he believes that hard-working is an indispensable component of every success in this world.