A delegation from the Royal Thai Air Force visited Sweden this week to review progress on Thailand’s Gripen E/F fighter acquisition program, including the start of assembly work on the country’s first aircraft at Saab’s facility in Linköping.
The delegation was led by Air Chief Marshal Seksan Kantha, commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Air Force, who held meetings with officials from Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) and Saab on May 13.
Thailand signed a contract in August 2025 for four Gripen E/F fighters under the first phase of the procurement program known as “Peace Burapha 1”. The agreement, valued at 19.5 billion baht, is part of Bangkok’s effort to replace aging F-16A/B fighters based at Wing 1 in Nakhon Ratchasima.
Deliveries of the first aircraft are scheduled to begin in 2029. A second procurement phase planned for 2028 could add four more fighters, while the long-term objective is to acquire a full squadron of 12 aircraft.
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The Royal Thai Air Force already operates 11 Gripen fighters, including Gripen C and D variants acquired in the late 2000s. The fleet is based at Surat Thani and has become one of the service’s primary air defense assets.
The newer Gripen E introduces a more powerful engine, updated avionics, increased fuel capacity and an AESA radar, along with expanded electronic warfare and networking capabilities compared with earlier Gripen versions.
Thailand selected the Gripen E/F after evaluating options to replace part of its F-16 fleet amid growing regional security concerns and the increasing age of its existing fighter inventory.
Thai F-16s have recently been used in patrol and airspace monitoring missions near the Myanmar border following periods of instability and armed clashes close to Thai territory.
