Sweden's Saab AB said on Tuesday its proposal to sell Gripen fighter jets to the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) will meet the government's offset policy and other requirements for national capability development stipulated by the air force.
The air force plans to ask for a 19-billion-baht budget in the next fiscal year to procure new fighter jets. Under the offset policy, countries that supply new military hardware to Thailand must reciprocate by offering equal economic evaluations in bilateral trade.
Air force commander, ACM Punpakdee Pattanakul, said the jet procurement scheme, part of the air force's white paper outlining its development goals, is expected to be tabled to the cabinet on April 2.
The air force is said to be weighing between Sweden's Gripen E/F and the US's F-16 Block 70 aircraft. A selection committee, formed to decide which of the two offers better value for money, is expected to decide in May or June.
The white paper includes a plan to procure a new squadron of fighter jets in the next fiscal year, starting Oct 1, as well as introduce several all-domain development projects. The RTAF aims to decommission 102 Squadron's old F-16s at Wing 1 and replace them with 12 new fighter jets.
Speaking to the Thai media at Saab HQ in Bangkok, Robert Hewson, Strategic Communications Director Saab Aeronautics, said Gripen brings the most advanced range of weapons and capabilities of any competing fighter and it has weapons options that competing fighters cannot offer.
He said Thailand's Gripen fighters are an integral part of the national network-centric defence system. Expanding these would have the highest operational effect with the lowest lifecycle costs for the RTAF, he added.
The Swedish offer is a high-technology platform for a major, sustainable, strategic partnership to create high-quality jobs, increase exports and develop new capabilities that are relevant to all of Thailand, Mr Hewson said.
The air force bought a fleet of 12 Gripen fighters based at Wing 7 in Surat Thani but lost one in a crash.
Mr Hewson denied reports the Gripen proposal would include an option for a submarine, saying it was a rumour.