The Royal Thai Air Force is considering buying six additional Gripen fighter jets from Sweden at a cost of 18 billion baht, according to air force chief Prajin Jantong.
The last batch of three Gripen fighter jets from Sweden were commissioned for service at Wing 7 in Surat Thani on Wednesday. (Photo by Thiti Wannamontha)
Air Chief Marshal Prajin said on Wednesday that the air force would have to wait for the government to approve any future purchase of the jets due to the high cost.
He was speaking after he flew as second pilot in a Gripen jet from Don Muang air force base to Wing 7 at Surat Thani.
The jet was one of three delivered on Wednesday that make up the last batch of a fleet of 12 Gripen jets ordered from Sweden in 2008 for 34 billion baht.
ACM Prajin said the air force may propose to buy the six extra jets under a barter trade agreement, adding that Sweden would consider a barter deal to exchange rubber, rice or chicken for the aircraft.
The Gripen Integrated Air Defence System, comprising 12 Gripen fighter jets along with two Saab 340 AEW early warning aircraft and a Saab 340 transport plane, will be included in the armed forces’ national defence programme on April 1, 2014.
The delivery of the last three jets was delayed by a day after one of them was hit by lightning over India en route to Thailand.
ACM Prajin added that Sweden's Saab group, which manufactures the aircraft, had installed a new computerised flight control system in the jet that was struck by lightning after it was found to have a glitch in one of its electronic components.
Photo by Thiti Wannamontha.