Sweden Delivers Gripen Aircraft To Thailand

[webfact]

Sweden Delivers Gripen Aircraft to Thailand

Sweden delivered the first one of JAS 39 Gripen aircraft to Thailand on Wednesday, according to the Swedish government.

The Swedish Defense Minister Sten Tolgfors, Thai Armed Forces Supreme Commander Songkitti Jaggabatara and Thai Air Force Commander Itthaporn Subhawong presented the delivering ceremony in Linkoping where the aircraft manufacturer Saab aerospace and defense company is based, the Swedish government said in a statement.

At the ceremony, Tolgfors welcomed Thailand to the Gripen family with its members Sweden, Hungary, the Czech Republic and the Republic of South Africa.

He said "Thailand is an important partner for Sweden, in the area of defense as well as in other areas. Our bilateral cooperation in the defense area started more than 50 years ago when Sweden admitted Thai Navy Cadets for training."

"Today our two countries take another step into further enhancing our cooperation when the first Gripen formally will be unveiled to be handed over to the Royal Thai Air Force," Tolgfors added.

Sweden would deliver six Jas-39 Gripen aircraft to Thai Air Force according to a deal between Thai Air Force and the producer Swedish Saab in 2007.

Source: scandasia.com

-- SCANDASIA

2010-08-20

[nowork114]

Went to pick up kickback personally?

[Buchholz]

why thailand needs this ?

To replace F-5 planes that are based on 1950's technology.

Given its susceptibility to meet an untoward end due to its ancient age, would you care to volunteer to pilot it at its capacity of 1,700 km/h?

[PoorSucker]

The old Thaksin deal with Sweden.

Chicken for planes.

[SamritT]

[quote name='thaif' timestamp='1282282140'

Maybe you have not heard of a little pest country call Cambodia.

Edited August 20, 2010 by Lite Beer
Quote containing deleted post removed.

[Chris Lawrence]

They sound like a good plane. Don't know how good there other stuff is, but proabably needs some updating. Wasn't the Army's gear in Bankok very old?

[ralfbkk]

The old Thaksin deal with Sweden.

Chicken for planes.

That was with France actually - Chicken for Airbus :-)

[Jimi007]

What? Sweden is now a world arms supplier? Where's all the Swede bashing? Just joking! But if it were the USA providing the aircraft, there would be plenty of American bashing! I'm just saying...

[Phil Conners]

They must have mix of practically anything that can fly by now. F-5, F-16, F-18, Harrier, now Gripen. Why not standardize on one platform instead of having all those mismatched platforms.

Yeah, we all know why....

[rakman]

They must have mix of practically anything that can fly by now. F-5, F-16, F-18, Harrier, now Gripen. Why not standardize on one platform instead of having all those mismatched platforms.

Yeah, we all know why....

Searching around, Royal Thailand Air Force has F-5 (which are aged); F16 in the Air Force (many being upgraded for extended life and the bulk of the RTAF) and now Gripens. The order for F-18's was cancelled in 2001 after the Baht collapsed in 1997, around the time of the original order, and the US offered F-16s to cover the investment.

Harriers are flown by the RTN off the Chakri Naruebet jump carrier.

It would seem the Gripens are cheaper to fly, but possibly less capable in an air to ground mode.

So it would seem the Thai military is being reasonably frugal in their operations.

[geriatrickid]

[quote name='thaif' timestamp='1282282140'

Maybe you have not heard of a little pest country call Cambodia.

Cambodia's airforce is not a threat to anyone. The concern is China and also the need to respect obligations in respect to air piracy. There is a need for aircraft capable of intercept. The current Thai equipment isn't up to snuff. Thailand does need modern aircraft for basic sovereignty requirements. The Swedish product while not up to the advanced capabilities as the F-35 that countries like Australia, Canada & the USA are purchasing, will meet the needs of Thailand within the budget constraints.

[seanocasey]

[quote name='thaif' timestamp='1282282140'

Maybe you have not heard of a little pest country call Cambodia.

Cambodia's airforce is not a threat to anyone. The concern is China and also the need to respect obligations in respect to air piracy. There is a need for aircraft capable of intercept. The current Thai equipment isn't up to snuff. Thailand does need modern aircraft for basic sovereignty requirements. The Swedish product while not up to the advanced capabilities as the F-35 that countries like Australia, Canada & the USA are purchasing, will meet the needs of Thailand within the budget constraints.

well put,within the budget constraints

[PhilHarries]

Harriers are flown by the RTN off the Chakri Naruebet jump carrier.

I don't think so, last I heard of them was around ten years ago and something like seven of the nine planes were being cannibalised for spares (don't quote me on the numbers, they're from memory).

[jayjayjayjay]

Has it crashed yet?

Will they use it on the aircraft carrier?

<deleted>.............. what a f8king joke this country can be... 55555

PS. None of the harriers are flying now. The carrier is probably earmarked for scuttling in the artificial reef program along with Chinese tanks.

Edited August 20, 2010 by jayjayjayjay

[MTH]

The old Thaksin deal with Sweden.

Chicken for planes.

That was with France actually - Chicken for Airbus :-)

Hey Bud, There was actually a deal in the making back in 2004 when Thaksin wanted Sweden to buy chicken from Thailand and in return he offered to buy Jas Gripen from Sweden. I remember this as it was at the same time as the Bird Flu outbreak was in the news pretty much every day.

Here is a translation of a Reuters blurb in the Swedish news back then: Link

Jas against chickens

Published: Monday, September 13th, 2004

Thailand's prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, wants Sweden to start buying chickens from Thailand and in return the Prime Minister would be prepared to buy the jet fighter JAS Gripen.

To the Reuters news agency the Prime Minister said that "both chicks and planes can fly, so the deal would be negotiable." Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, will take up the issue when he visits Sweden September 23 at the invitation of Prime Minister Goran Persson.

[rubl]

The old Thaksin deal with Sweden.

Chicken for planes.

That was with France actually - Chicken for Airbus :-)

Hey Bud, There was actually a deal in the making back in 2004 when Thaksin wanted Sweden to buy chicken from Thailand and in return he offered to buy Jas Gripen from Sweden. I remember this as it was at the same time as the Bird Flu outbreak was in the news pretty much every day.

Here is a translation of a Reuters blurb in the Swedish news back then: Link

Jas against chickens

Published: Monday, September 13th, 2004

Thailand's prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, wants Sweden to start buying chickens from Thailand and in return the Prime Minister would be prepared to buy the jet fighter JAS Gripen.

To the Reuters news agency the Prime Minister said that "both chicks and planes can fly, so the deal would be negotiable." Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, will take up the issue when he visits Sweden September 23 at the invitation of Prime Minister Goran Persson.

It seems getting to sell chicken is even more difficult than stated, this also Sept 2004:

"The Thai government offered to swap 250,000 tons of chicken meat in the next five years for fighter aircraft made by Russia's Sukhoi Holding Corp., the Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association, a trade group, said in a faxed statement."

[PhilHarries]

To the Reuters news agency the Prime Minister said that "both chicks and planes can fly, so the deal would be negotiable." Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, will take up the issue when he visits Sweden September 23 at the invitation of Prime Minister Goran Persson.

With a quote like that I'm surprised the Swedes didn't tell him to go fly his kite.

The longest recorded flight of a chicken is something like 13 seconds so I doubt if they'd be too impressed on their aircraft's abilities being cast in the same light.

Just ask Ozzy Osbourne, he's a bit of an expert in the flight, or lack, of chickens.

[Hawkup2000]

[quote name='thaif' timestamp='1282282140'

Maybe you have not heard of a little pest country call Cambodia.

Cambodia's airforce is not a threat to anyone. The concern is China and also the need to respect obligations in respect to air piracy. There is a need for aircraft capable of intercept. The current Thai equipment isn't up to snuff. Thailand does need modern aircraft for basic sovereignty requirements. The Swedish product while not up to the advanced capabilities as the F-35 that countries like Australia, Canada & the USA are purchasing, will meet the needs of Thailand within the budget constraints.

Yes, it's a multipurpose aircraft that suits Thailand's need with in budget but it's not a "budget solution", for instance JAS have a fully functional linksystem which aircrafts like block 60 and F22 don't have. I've "heard" that it will be delivered with P5 platform (newer than new) which is an improvement.

Mind you, in the airforce base some old ladies frequently complain about the noise of aircrafts. They are in for a real treat. Gripen sounds like an boiling teapot on steroids . The will miss the old F-16.

Edited August 20, 2010 by Hawkup2000

[xenomorph]

[quote name='thaif' timestamp='1282282140'

Maybe you have not heard of a little pest country call Cambodia.

Cambodia's airforce is not a threat to anyone. The concern is China and also the need to respect obligations in respect to air piracy. There is a need for aircraft capable of intercept. The current Thai equipment isn't up to snuff. Thailand does need modern aircraft for basic sovereignty requirements. The Swedish product while not up to the advanced capabilities as the F-35 that countries like Australia, Canada & the USA are purchasing, will meet the needs of Thailand within the budget constraints.

Yes, it's a multipurpose aircraft that suits Thailand's need with in budget but it's not a "budget solution", for instance JAS have a fully functional linksystem which aircrafts like block 60 and F22 don't have. I've "heard" that it will be delivered with P5 platform (newer than new) which is an improvement.

Mind you, in the airforce base some old ladies frequently complain about the noise of aircrafts. They are in for a real treat. Gripen sounds like an boiling teapot on steroids . The will miss the old F-16.

Agree!

The Gripen is a highly under-estimated military Jet, which on the market sale have been losing against mainly US products due to the US government's threats (towards potential byuers) of getting a "less favored" in terms of business or "military protection" if they don't purchase the US equipment. Didn't the Bush family have some shares or tight connections to Lockheed Martin? But since the US printed paper money (thanks to the Federal Reserve) just started to catch up with reality, the Asian and especially Chinese economies is becoming the world's financial center. The US threats of "less favored" in terms of business is becoming more like the sound of someone banging empty trashcans.While the rest of the world is moving forward, American companies, at homeland, are left suing each other over for patent infringement as main revenue.

Edited August 20, 2010 by xenomorph

[Methane]

Has it crashed yet?

Will they use it on the aircraft carrier?

<deleted>.............. what a f8king joke this country can be... 55555

PS. None of the harriers are flying now. The carrier is probably earmarked for scuttling in the artificial reef program along with Chinese tanks.

THe Gripens are going to the RTAF, hence will not be carrier based, they are not carrier compatible anyway.

The RTN also has some A-7's in storage as well as Ex-Spanish Navy Harriers.

I believe the F/A 18's that were ordered ended up in Malaysia as 2 seat night attack aircraft. I always saw that FA18 over ambitious as

surely a few more F16's for the RTAF would have been more sensible, and cost a shedload less in training and maintenance.

Especially when the order was for only 6 frames in the first place.

Gripen is a good move as the single engine keeps maintenance costs down, and can use existing RTAF missiles etc.

Everything out there they are likely to be offered (Typhoon-SU 30-Rafale-even F/A-18 E F) are horrifically expensive.

[asiawatcher]

[quote name='thaif' timestamp='1282282140'

Maybe you have not heard of a little pest country call Cambodia.

Would have to agree - despite such huge amounts of money wasted on air defenses proved in Iraq how essential they were however - 5 planes does have the same laughable affect as the Iraq air force that was wiped out completely in days i.e. if China (or VN) ever backed Cambodia in an act of protection against an invading Thailand for any reason, it would be a total waste of money but by all means, fly them a few times a month, waste the tax payers money and show a sign of unveiled threat. I think Hun Sen needs it!

There is no possible winner to this debate.

[paymaster]

I don't know why they don't just arm the chickens!

[PhilHarries]

I don't know why they don't just arm the chickens!

But if the chickens had arms they'd be politicians.

[lannarebirth]

The old Thaksin deal with Sweden.

Chicken for planes.

That was with France actually - Chicken for Airbus :-)

Actually, it was Russia.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/7188/russia-to-reduce-tariff-for-thai-frozen-chicken-imports

Edited August 21, 2010 by lannarebirth

[DP25]

Mind you, in the airforce base some old ladies frequently complain about the noise of aircrafts. They are in for a real treat. Gripen sounds like an boiling teapot on steroids . The will miss the old F-16.

The F-16s aren't going anywhere, they'll be in service for a while. The Grippens are replacing a very old squadron of F-5s

[Hawkup2000]

Im aware of that. What I was trying to say was that some will miss the Gripen free times.

Last week 15 thai technicians were in the military airforce base in Ronneby, Sweden for some education. They were quite amazed by the "tea pot sound". :-)

[mccw]

Foolish not to have any defences when Burma is your nieghbour; nevermind Cambodia. Thai people dam_n lucky to live in peace without fear of landmines and unexplored ordinance. Their millitary and monarch has secured this for them; only greedy redshirt terrorist now threaten peacefull , but I'm sure they can b dealt with, just as the communists were, if anything reshirts are less dangerous as they're based on self interests rather than idealism

Would have to agree - despite such huge amounts of money wasted on air defenses proved in Iraq how essential they were however - 5 planes does have the same laughable affect as the Iraq air force that was wiped out completely in days i.e. if China (or VN) ever backed Cambodia in an act of protection against an invading Thailand for any reason, it would be a total waste of money but by all means, fly them a few times a month, waste the tax payers money and show a sign of unveiled threat. I think Hun Sen needs it!

There is no possible winner to this debate.

Edited August 21, 2010 by mccw

[chainarong]

Is the Gripen avtronics and weapons systems compatible with Nato , US systems, Thailand's closest allies US and Australia would be a bit Pi!!!ed off if they aren't.

[TAWP]

Is the Gripen avtronics and weapons systems compatible with Nato , US systems, Thailand's closest allies US and Australia would be a bit Pi!!!ed off if they aren't.

The Gripen NG and newer models are all fully NATO compatible.

[Richard W]

Maybe you have not heard of a little pest country call Cambodia.

How about stopping Malaysia doing a Kosovo?