The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) plans to procure three fighter aircraft from Sweden after the US recently refused to sell F-35A fighter jets, an RTAF source said on Thursday.
The RTAF plans to procure three Gripen jet fighters from Sweden to add to its fleet in Wing 7 in Surat Thani, the source said on Thursday.
The air force had bought a fleet of 12 Gripen fighters based at Wing 7 in Surat Thani but lost one in a crash.
Each Gripen fighter aircraft costs around 2 billion baht.
The Swedes will also update a radar system the RTAF uses, which will cost around 4 billion baht as it has been in service for a decade, the source said.
The source said RTAF commander-in-chief ACM Alongkorn Wannarot had not yet formed a panel to study and select which fighter aircraft can replace the kingdom's F-16 fighter jets that have been in service for three decades.
Although the US recommended the RTAF consider procuring 4.5-generation fighter jets, namely F-16 block 70 and F-15 aircraft, the budget for fiscal year 2024 is not enough to make a contractual obligation for such a procurement.
The source said the US recommended the 4.5-generation fighter jets as suitable for the RTAF in preparation for future procurement of F-35As.
It was reported that the US requires a minimum of 10 years to process its supply of F-35A jets to a new buyer before delivery. As part of that, the buying country needs to install specific infrastructure, training and security systems, as the jets are designed with new technical and operational concepts and possess stealth capabilities.
In addition, the logistics, inventory and management systems for F-35A jets differ from those of the F-16, making it impossible for the two types of fighter jets to share infrastructure.
The matter will be reviewed by a new commander-in-chief, who will be appointed on Oct 1.