Thai Airforce expresses a wish to buy more Gripen jets

[webfact]

Thailand is said to want to buy more Gripen jets
BY SINE NEUCHS THOMSEN



BANGKOK: -- Thailand will purchase other six Swedish Gripen fighter aircrafts the next ten years, reported Swedish Newspaper Svenska Dagbladet.

Thus the country would get 18 Gripen fighters. Svenska Dagbladet has the information from the British Defend and Security company IHS Jane, who refers to sources in the Thai Air Force.

In September should the air force of Thailand have expressed a wish to the government on the purchase. Thai medias wrote about it, but Saab, which produces the Gripen, would not comment on any requests received.

Sofia Karlberg, head of communication in National Defence and Security Export authorithy in Sweden said that the wish was uttered by Thai soldiers when the three Swedish jets were submitted on 11 September.

“But we have not received any formal request yet,” she said to Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå in Sweden.

Source: http://www.aftonbladet.se/senastenytt/ttnyheter/inrikes/article17693100.ab

Source: http://scandasia.com/thailand-said-want-buy-gripen-jets/

-- ScandAsia 2013-10-21

[Neilly]

“But we have not received any formal request yet,” she said to Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå in Sweden.

Think some brown envelopes have to be shuffled about a bit before you get a formal request

[soi41]

Hope they come with free spray-paint!!

[Redhawk]

Arms and weapon organisation here is that of a thirld world country, buy some ammo here get some guns there, mixed up stuff like drives maintenance costs at astronomical high levels. They would done also a lot better having chosen the Dassault Rafaele. Saab is a struggeling company, if I remember it right, there was a chicken meat deal involved for the fighters buy, maybe this time time they trade mold rice for some more Gripen! Corruption at high leves

ls because the costs are to be paid by the tax payer!

[MESmith]

"Thailand is said to want to buy more Gripen jets"

Have they broken the first lot already?

Edited October 21, 2013 by MESmith

[BuddyPinkham]

I guess my questions is WHY? Why does Thailand need these jets? Just to spend more money and tax people more? Are they anticipating an air strike in the near future?

[MMarlow]

I guess my questions is WHY? Why does Thailand need these jets? Just to spend more money and tax people more? Are they anticipating an air strike in the near future?

Most countries that are not expecting an attack have their airforces properly equipped, is there any reason for Thailand not to have the same protection?

[Robby nz]

Someone will have to get a gripen themselves.

Sorry couldn't resist it.

Why not ? they might as well be in while the govt is kissing the boots of the military to keep them onside.

[ballpoint]

They should just contact TV. There's enough Whingen, Moanen and Gripen' here to supply every airforce in the world.

[Thai at Heart]

The way to stay in power is to make sure that the poor and the army get their disproportionate share of the pie.

What a country....

[Baloo22]

Arms and weapon organisation here is that of a thirld world country, buy some ammo here get some guns there, mixed up stuff like drives maintenance costs at astronomical high levels. They would done also a lot better having chosen the Dassault Rafaele. Saab is a struggeling company, if I remember it right, there was a chicken meat deal involved for the fighters buy, maybe this time time they trade mold rice for some more Gripen! Corruption at high leves

ls because the costs are to be paid by the tax payer!

Agreed, except that I don't believe that choosing the Dassault Rafaele would make any difference. Saab Gripen, Dassault Rafaele, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Falcon,........; If they don't have the necessary maintenance, and support organization it won't matter which aircraft they buy. The shiny aircraft is only a small part of the whole.

[marcusd]

I guess my questions is WHY? Why does Thailand need these jets? Just to spend more money and tax people more? Are they anticipating an air strike in the near future?

Most countries that are not expecting an attack have their airforces properly equipped, is there any reason for Thailand not to have the same protection?

Yes Thailand Does have the same protections and it comes in the form of SHIN - oops I mean China

[marcusd]

Arms and weapon organisation here is that of a thirld world country, buy some ammo here get some guns there, mixed up stuff like drives maintenance costs at astronomical high levels. They would done also a lot better having chosen the Dassault Rafaele. Saab is a struggeling company, if I remember it right, there was a chicken meat deal involved for the fighters buy, maybe this time time they trade mold rice for some more Gripen! Corruption at high leves

ls because the costs are to be paid by the tax payer!

Agreed, except that I don't believe that choosing the Dassault Rafaele would make any difference. Saab Gripen, Dassault Rafaele, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Falcon,........; If they don't have the necessary maintenance, and support organization it won't matter which aircraft they buy. The shiny aircraft is only a small part of the whole.

I remeber seeing articles on the Russian jets supposedly better than F15 /F16 super hornest and Australai was concerned about Indonesia buying them... Until they crashed 3 with poor training.

I mean Thai Pilots being On the ball when Facebooks goes off on the Iphone? Come on get real!

[rkidlad]

I guess my questions is WHY? Why does Thailand need these jets? Just to spend more money and tax people more? Are they anticipating an air strike in the near future?

Most countries that are not expecting an attack have their airforces properly equipped, is there any reason for Thailand not to have the same protection?

In case Cambodia goes for all out war after the ICJ hearing?

Money could be much better spent. But so could a lot of countries' military spending.

[h90]

I guess my questions is WHY? Why does Thailand need these jets? Just to spend more money and tax people more? Are they anticipating an air strike in the near future?

Well: Cambodia will be hostile if the Shinawatra clan is kicked out. It might be possible that Myanmar makes troubles if they get closer and closer to USA and Thailand has a coup.

The new government in Malaysia is is called corrupt by the opposition and US friendly.

Rumor say that US can turn off their sold weapons, so I would understand the army to buy other weapons.

[Arkady]

Them Gripen jets should be a nice little earner for the boys in blue.

[NeverSure]

Actually, due to the relatively small size of Thailand, it doesn't need a longer range, faster fighter to defend its borders. The F-16 costs a lot more to own and operate including burning a lot more fuel. Yes it is faster and longer range, and can carry a much heavier payload of fuel and munitions, but again it was developed to defend the US and its borders and coastline which is a whole different situation. It's also not the latest and greatest of US fighters.

I think the Gripen is just right for Thailand, without any information as to whether Thailand needs more of them.

The lower purchase price and operating costs of the Gripen make sense. But for every one purchased, the is a need for a brown envelope spare parts, munitions, and pilot training etc. Over time those cost more than the plane.

The Gripen can get off the ground fast on a shorter field, is fast enough to scramble to the border, and is very maneuverable in close combat.

PS The US has a treaty to defend Thailand, and keeps assets in SE Asia at all times.

[Spalpeen]

The way to stay in power is to make sure that the poor and the army get their disproportionate share of the pie.

What a country....

It's hardly the poor who are getting a disproportionate share of the pie in Thailand, is it?

[Baloo22]

Arms and weapon organisation here is that of a thirld world country, buy some ammo here get some guns there, mixed up stuff like drives maintenance costs at astronomical high levels. They would done also a lot better having chosen the Dassault Rafaele. Saab is a struggeling company, if I remember it right, there was a chicken meat deal involved for the fighters buy, maybe this time time they trade mold rice for some more Gripen! Corruption at high leves

ls because the costs are to be paid by the tax payer!

Agreed, except that I don't believe that choosing the Dassault Rafaele would make any difference. Saab Gripen, Dassault Rafaele, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Falcon,........; If they don't have the necessary maintenance, and support organization it won't matter which aircraft they buy. The shiny aircraft is only a small part of the whole.

I remeber seeing articles on the Russian jets supposedly better than F15 /F16 super hornest and Australai was concerned about Indonesia buying them... Until they crashed 3 with poor training.

I mean Thai Pilots being On the ball when Facebooks goes off on the Iphone? Come on get real!

Right! Training (pilots and support crews), maintenance, and (now) electronics. Those are more important than the shiny airframe.

Last month I watched a documentary movie "Six Days in June" on the Arab-Israeli war in 1967. I believe it's on Youtube. Fantastic documentary. It's very informative on the value of excellence in training and planning. In one day, as a result of superior planning, and superior training (of both pilots and ground crews), the IAF totally destroyed the numerically superior air forces of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan.

The ground crews were just as important. I read in another source that the IAF ground crews were so well trained that they were able to refuel and rearm their aircraft in ten minutes. That provided an critical increase in the sortie rate of the numerically smaller IAF.

Edited October 21, 2013 by Baloo22

[rfukata]

undisclosed barter deal with Thai rice

[Ricardo]

So how many tons of ageing-rice are required, to buy a Swedish fighter-jet, these days, one wonders ?

Note that this deal would raise the RTAF's tally of these fighter-jets to eighteen, which hardly seems massive, compared to the regional super-power's military-might.

And they will continue to operate their Vietnam-War-era spotter-planes, looking for smugglers up-North, and terrorists down-South.

So they're hardly being extravagant, it appears.

[eddie61]

jolly good idea..... it will make those pesky chinese shake in fear when they decide that the thai/chinese takeaway is ready to be served. In the meantime, I suggest that Yingluck creates another 18 airforce generals to manage the fleet.

Edited October 22, 2013 by eddie61

[JoeThePoster]

Thai Airforce expresses a wish to buy more Gripen jets

How many berry pickers per jet?

[pmugghc]

The chicken barter deal was a discussion they had with Russia some years ago.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Ricardo]

There is a clear need, for the Defence-Minister to spend a week in Sweden, discussing the potential deal ... especially with upcoming controversial legislation looming !

[h90]

The chicken barter deal was a discussion they had with Russia some years ago.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I recall when the Russian guy went upset and told they can't pay the airplane in frozen low quality chicken but demand the kick back in US Dollar

[JoeThePoster]

Playing chicken with the Russians, Swedes and Americans.

http://voices.yahoo.com/wikileaks-documents-reveal-thailand-8006696.html

[ginjag]

My take on this--absolutely NO NEED, for what ???? if a threat to Thailand-- USA, and others will defend without the WANT yes WANT not need, Thai children talk, greed again in another form. The other thing to wonder is that it's a form of masking tape-% to who ???.

Get shut of 70% of your generals--again no need, get shut of the annual call up of youngsters, volunteers will be sufficient. What will the Thai think of next.

biggest most stupid Ideas---submarines-aircraft carrier with no carrier aircraft--1 thousand boats to propel water out to the river delta--super railway system---surely posters can think of more fantastic stupid ideas Thai have done and in the pipeline.

[StasD]

Sweden cannot sell their GRIPEN to any country so why Thailand wants to buy? SU -35 is much better I think

Edited October 22, 2013 by StasD

[steveyinasia]

Thailand does not need more fighters however there are probably a few generals about to retire and they need their payout.