How Thai Air Force acquire Gripen fleets

[rooster59]

How Thai Air Force acquire Gripen fleets

By The Nation

 

Photo credit: Saab.com

 

Thailand aims to become a leading power in Asean by having one of the strongest air forces in the region by the end of this decade.

 

In 2008, the Royal Thai Air Force spent up to Bt34 billion on the purchase of 12 Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets as part of an effort to replace the ageing F-5A/B jets. 

 

The JAS 39 Gripen is a light, single-engine, multi-role fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30304127 

 

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-01-14

[Guest]

I guess the story here is; war is where the money is made in. 

 

Nobody really knows if the JAS Gripen is a good fighter plane. Nobody has seen it in real action. 

 

Quite unlike Hornets and Mig's, which have proven to be effective during combat battles in the Middle East and Syria. 

 

[sandrabbit]

For what Thailand needs they should have just bought more F16's, still the best all round aircraft in the world and it does most things including ground attack and in fact beat purpose built ground attack planes in bombing competitions when it 1st went into service. Maybe buy a few F18 super hornets to make up a few squadrons.

[johng]

I think this can all be blamed on that devil Thaksin and his chicken for fighter plane deal.

[Shroud]

7 minutes ago, oilinki said:

I guess the story here is; war is where the money is made in. 

 

Nobody really knows if the JAS Gripen is a good fighter plane. Nobody has seen it in real action. 

 

Quite unlike Hornets and Mig's, which have proven to be effective during combat battles in the Middle East and Syria. 

 

 

Dude.. let's just be honest about the fact that America for the past decade lost every war in the middle east and central asia despite any f-16s, f-18s and f22s, where they have been fighting zero air-to-air combat missions. With f35 on the horizon, imagine how many issues this piece of crap already has. 

[tukkytuktuk]

One Gripen fighter crashed in Hat Yai this morning during a childrens day event.

 

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, Shroud said:

 

Dude.. let's just be honest about the fact that America for the past decade lost every war in the middle east and central asia despite any f-16s, f-18s and f22s, where they have been fighting zero air-to-air combat missions. With f35 on the horizon, imagine how many issues this piece of crap already has. 

Please re-read what I wrote.

[sandrabbit]

8 minutes ago, Shroud said:

 

Dude.. let's just be honest about the fact that America for the past decade lost every war in the middle east and central asia despite any f-16s, f-18s and f22s, where they have been fighting zero air-to-air combat missions. With f35 on the horizon, imagine how many issues this piece of crap already has. 

I know what you're saying but the US has been fighting with one hand tied behind it's back as the politicians won't let the military prosecute wars with a purely military objective. If you're talking air superiority as far as the US airforce is concerned (and navy + marines to a lesser extent) is not so much the machine as the system and tactics. By this I mean, defence suppression ( like wild weasels), fighter aircraft , electronic countermeasures and awacs etc. The F15 is still an awesome aircraft as shown by the Israelis alone so I don't the US is looking too bad. 

[tukkytuktuk]

Yes, I can confirm the crash was this morning in Hat Yai.

[tukkytuktuk]

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/01/14/world/pilot-killed-thai-fighter-jet-crashes-air-show-kids/

Here's a link in English.

[sandrabbit]

17 minutes ago, tukkytuktuk said:

Yes, I can confirm the crash was this morning in Hat Yai.

I watched the video this morning ( read some comments in another item regarding the crash) and it looked to me like the pilot rolled inverted then pushed the stick fwd to raise the nose then pulled the stick back as if he was going to do a loop without enough altitude.

 

Edit. more experienced guys than me said he messed up an Immelman turn

Edited January 14, 2017 by sandrabbit

[tukkytuktuk]

I had no idea this had happened this morning, the news about the crash is on the Southern Thailand forum. I missed all the action. Sh1t.

Here's link

 

[NCC1701A]

as you can see, they are off to a good start.

 

RIP Thai pilot.

 

Looks like the rest of the "Air Force" right there in the foreground.

 

 

 

[baboon]

The chances of the Thai military being involved in hostilities that do not involve killing their own dissidents are negligible as far as I can tell, in the forseeable future. Still, they are requesting the working class dig deep in order to provide aid to their flood stricken brethren in the south and don't seem to have enough in the state coffers to do what they elected themselves for?

 

Shameful. And shame on any other government who act similarly.

[ezzra]

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Thailand aims to become a leading power in Asean by having one of the strongest air forces in the region by the end of this decade

 

You can buy and fly F35 for all I know, your plans are as good as the guys who fly them,

and if your pilots skills and capabilities

 are only good to fly Cessna and alike, you know the outcome already....

 

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Thailand aims to become a leading power in the region by having a strong air force! Ahh the joys of having a military government. Think they need many more planes if they want to succeed with that and not ex-minivan drivers as pilots.

[optad]

Hardly a deterrent nor a defense in practical terms. Especially when they fall out of the sky at fetes. Just a black hole on the ledger. That aircraft carrier is another one, the Chakri Naruebet. Having said that, the military and Thai politics are closely entwined so maybe it is more about those parallels. 

[smedly]

9 hours ago, Shroud said:

I guess the story here is; war is where the money is made in. 

 

Nobody really knows if the JAS Gripen is a good fighter plane. Nobody has seen it in real action. 

 

Quite unlike Hornets and Mig's, which have proven to be effective during combat battles in the Middle East and Syria. 

 

9 hours ago, Shroud said:

 

Dude.. let's just be honest about the fact that America for the past decade lost every war in the middle east and central asia despite any f-16s, f-18s and f22s, where they have been fighting zero air-to-air combat missions. With f35 on the horizon, imagine how many issues this piece of crap already has. 

must admit I am having difficulty understanding your post

 

I put fighter aircraft into 5 simple categories that take into account the following effectiveness

 

1. aircrafts capability to fly (most modern fighters meet this standard but some go beyond)  

2. avionics/electronics

3. weapon systems

4. Stealth

5. Training and pilot ability

 

Many excel in category 1 but very few excel in all 5 and you need to excel in all 5 to be a vastly a superior package

 

 

 

[inzman]

Why spend money on planes for a war they will never fight? Just toys for the boys and splashing a little cash around. 

[smedly]

2 minutes ago, inzman said:

Why spend money on planes for a war they will never fight? Just toys for the boys and splashing a little cash around. 

have to agree, I cannot see how Thailand would ever find itself in a situation were it needed Fighter Jets or Submarines

[Tallviking]

3 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

Thailand aims to become a leading power in the region by having a strong air force! Ahh the joys of having a military government. Think they need many more planes if they want to succeed with that and not ex-minivan drivers as pilots.

 

The decision to buy new fighter jets was taken during the Thaksin goverment and the procurement process took several years
Since Thaksin didnt really have the cash for it he suggested to pay some parts with chicken (true how unbelivable it might sound)
But since only the russians was willing to accept this Thailand was very near in procuring russian fighter jets

 

Thanks to the military taking over and later an elected goverment, the contract was then signed with SAAB for 6 planes (4 oneseaters and 2 twoseaters) and an erieye radarplane. Later another 6 planes was ordered in 2010 under another elected goverment.

 

I believe there are discussion today to buy even more planes

[madmitch]

Great timing for this article 

[arrowsdawdle]

13 hours ago, oilinki said:

I guess the story here is; war is where the money is made in. 

 

Nobody really knows if the JAS Gripen is a good fighter plane. Nobody has seen it in real action. 

 

Quite unlike Hornets and Mig's, which have proven to be effective during combat battles in the Middle East and Syria. 

 

 

Does it matter how good the Gripen is? Whoever signed off on the approval for funds no doubt pocketed the 30% facilitation fee of 11 billion.

[arrowsdawdle]

Twelve jets is not even a squadron. Could be a hangar-full, but one envisions air-show promoters canceling orders left and right. 

[gchurch259]

Who do they plan to fight with ??

 

i wonder how many of the experts posting about aircraft have actually served, flew or maintained a military aircraft?

 

Me, 26 years, fighter and bomber aircraft maintenance, USAF and the problem with all the engagements since WWII have been screwed with by politicians.

[AlQaholic]

15 hours ago, oilinki said:

I guess the story here is; war is where the money is made in. 

 

Nobody really knows if the JAS Gripen is a good fighter plane. Nobody has seen it in real action. 

 

Quite unlike Hornets and Mig's, which have proven to be effective during combat battles in the Middle East and Syria. 

 

They did operate in Libya actually, during the EU bombings....

[sandrabbit]

2 hours ago, gchurch259 said:

Who do they plan to fight with ??

 

i wonder how many of the experts posting about aircraft have actually served, flew or maintained a military aircraft?

 

Me, 26 years, fighter and bomber aircraft maintenance, USAF and the problem with all the engagements since WWII have been screwed with by politicians.

so you just posted so you could boast, I bet the ladies love it when you talk technical.

[JAG]

38 minutes ago, sandrabbit said:

so you just posted so you could boast, I bet the ladies love it when you talk technical.

 

Reminds me of the old British Army joke:

 

How do you know, when you walk into a party, that one of those present is an RAF pilot?

 

Don't worry, within 5 minutes he will have told you...

[IAMHERE]

I suppose the Gripen is plenty fine as long as it is a better aircraft than what Thailand neighbors have.

[Morch]

38 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

I suppose the Gripen is plenty fine as long as it is a better aircraft than what Thailand neighbors have.

 

Most neighbors (other than Cambodia and Laos) got Russian aircraft (Su-27, Su-30, MiG-29). Singapore is on an altogether different league with US made F-16's and F-15 (not to mention proper training).