Thai Air Force Tests Gripen Jets on Highway for Emergency Readiness

[webfact]

File photo courtesy: Defence Security Asia

 

The Royal Thai Air Force is set to conduct an exercise testing the operational capabilities of its Gripen fighter jets, focusing on takeoff and landing on a highway rather than on traditional airstrips. This upcoming event is scheduled for Thursday on Highway 4287, located in Songkhla province, and will showcase the jets' adaptability and readiness in utilising alternative runways.

 

The drill involves two key operations: landing and taking off, honing the jets' ability to function on limited runway space, which is crucial should regular airports become unusable during emergencies. An air force source emphasizes that the Gripen jets need no more than 800 metres for an effective runway, proving their efficiency in unconventional settings.

 

The Department of Highways has confirmed the suitability of Highway 4287 for this demonstration. In addition, security measures will be heightened by police, military, and local officials to ensure the safety and success of the operation.

Earlier this year, Wing 7's 701 Squadron carried out a similar exercise with two Gripen jets at the Wing 5 airfield in Prachuap Khiri Khan. Despite the airfield possessing a 2,057-metre runway, the jets demonstrated their prowess by completing a short-field landing using merely 640 metres.

 

Furthermore, the Thai Air Force is in the process of expanding its fleet, with plans to purchase four additional Gripen jets. This acquisition would cost around 19 billion Thai Baht and follows careful considerations comparing offers from Swedish manufacturer Saab and US-based Lockheed Martin, which produces the F-16.

 

This initiative represents a significant step in improving Thailand's military preparedness, reflecting a commitment to maintaining a flexible and robust air defence capability.

 

By incorporating highway operations into their training regime, the Thai Air Force aims to ensure it can effectively respond to a range of scenarios, guaranteeing national security even under adverse conditions, reported Bangkok Post.

 

-- 2025-02-26

 

 

[JoePai]

Hope these Jet drivers are better than the bus drivers 

[Geoffggi]

I think the military brass have been watching too many S.W.A.T movies ..................LOL

[Gottfrid]

Why on earth is there soo much talk about Gripen jets. They are not even remotely comparable with USA jets. After that, what´s amazing with the capability to land and take off on a highway? 

 

Hell, they already had the capability for planes to take of from air carriers from 1911 and during the first world war.

[Gsxrnz]

Roads - where we're going, we don't need roads. 

[Purdey]

Great if you want to hitchhike somewhere fast. 

[steven100]

That'll be really handy for music festival crowd control ....  just take-off from the soi nearby .   

[blaze master]

I love the thaI military. 

[newbee2022]

What kind of emergency that would be??

[Dazinoz]

What could possibly go wrong!!!?

[Asquith Production]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The Department of Highways has confirmed the suitability of Highway 4287 for this demonstration. In addition, security measures will be heightened by police, military, and local officials to ensure the safety and success of the operation.

I hope they remember to close the road to traffic

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, JoePai said:

Hope these Jet drivers are better than the bus drivers 

Hope the roads they use are better than they are around here

[billd766]

It is not just the aircraft that they need to test but the refuelling, rearming and groundcrew support teams as well. The RAF used to do this every year on exercises in Germany with Harrier jump jets for 2 week exercises at a time in the 1970s.

[klauskunkel]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

File photo courtesy: Defence Security Asia

that picture looks like Germany, definitely Europe

[digger70]

6 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

Roads - where we're going, we don't need roads. 

Next there will be skis than land on Rice paddies 

[Bday Prang]

Are they being flown by Thai pilots,?  unsupervised ?  Now that is a worry.  But exactly what emergency do they envisage?

[Lee4Life]

1 hour ago, klauskunkel said:

that picture looks like Germany, definitely Europe

I was thinking that looks like a big John Deere Tractor pulling a big double disc in the back ground, are those fir trees in the background also?

[jayboy]

1 hour ago, klauskunkel said:

that picture looks like Germany, definitely Europe

 

You mean somewhere where there might be a point in using roads as an alternative for fighter jets in an emergency - like Finland or the Baltic states as an example?

 

In the case of Thailand there is no possible point because there is no potential enemy.Even in the most paranoid fantasy (say a Chinese attack) it's not likely there would be any Thai resistance.

[cowellandrew]

5 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

What kind of emergency that would be??

Buffaloes on your runway!

 

True story happened to me 30 years ago when coming into land in Laos, 

[newbee2022]

14 minutes ago, cowellandrew said:

Buffaloes on your runway!

 

True story happened to me 30 years ago when coming into land in Laos, 

🤣 What did you do on the runway ?🤣

[soalbundy]

8 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Why on earth is there soo much talk about Gripen jets. They are not even remotely comparable with USA jets. After that, what´s amazing with the capability to land and take off on a highway? 

 

Hell, they already had the capability for planes to take of from air carriers from 1911 and during the first world war.

They are capable aircraft and cheaper than American fighters both in price and maintenance, these days nobody wants to rely on America, besides which... who is going to attack Thailand, it's another waste of money like the submarine.

[Moonlover]

3 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

that picture looks like Germany, definitely Europe

It's a Swedish Air Force Gripen, so I thinks reasonable to assume it's operating off a Swedish highway.

[black tabby12345]

11 hours ago, JoePai said:

Hope these Jet drivers are better than the bus drivers 

 

Also better maintained.

Fall of these flying machines to the ground, just like death from the above...

[Ben Zioner]

These are nice little birds. I know the entitled hiso Thai pilots had been dreaming of the F35..

[billd766]

7 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

that picture looks like Germany, definitely Europe

I think tha it ma be Sweden in the photo.

 

There is a very interesting Wikipedia article here about the Gripen.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_JAS_39_Gripen

 

Which countries already have it, which countries have ordered it and a list of countries which are interested in it.

 

The is a cost per flying hour comparing the cost per flying hour of the Gripen, F35, Eurofighter, Rafale, F/A 18 and the F16. and the Gripen comes out the best.

 

IHS Janes seem to have commissioned it and not Saab.