In the News
SPOTLIGHT
[I][SIZE=”4″]Wings of change[/SIZE][/I]
Turning away from US F16s and opting for Swedish fighter jets marks a big change in air force thinking, writes Saritdet Marukatat and Wassana Nanuam.
ACM Chalit gazes fondly at a model of the Gripen 39 multi-purpose fighter at air force headquarters.
Volvo cars on the streets, Ericsson mobile phones in people’s hands and, soon, Gripen jets in the sky. Consumers are already familiar with many Swedish products, which are renowned for their durability and simplicity. And now the air force has a liking for Swedish fighter jets.
When the first of the new Gripen 39 C/D planes reach Thailand in 2011, it will be the first time in modern history that the air force’s frontline combat aircraft have not been made in the United States. In the past the army and the air force have relied on tanks and planes made in the US.
The air force has opted for the multi-purpose Swedish aircraft, which was chosen over Russia’s SU-30 jets because of several factors besides the price tag. One option the air force had before deciding on the Swedish fighters was to upgrade its F16 fleet.
The Gripen jets use shorter runways for landing and takeoff than the American planes, air force chief Chalit Phukphasuk said.
They can fly up to four hours after refuelling in the air, they give the air force real time operation with data links to central command and they fit in with the intentions of Thailand.
Special bonuses that also come with the 19-billion-baht deal for six of the multi-purpose Swedish planes include guaranteed spare parts, training, another aircraft equipped with an airborne early warning system, scholarships for Thai pilots and a transport plane.
Under the deal sealed between the Swedish firm and the Thai air force in Stockholm on Feb 9, four two-seater Gripen jets and two one-seater jets will be delivered in 2011. Another six will be purchased in the future.
However, the deal has met with criticism over the apparent rush for approval before the retirement of the military-installed government of then prime minister Surayud Chulanont. Gen Surayud’s cabinet agreed in principle to the deal in October last year and officially approved it in January, a month before it stepped aside for the elected government led by the People Power party.
When Gen Surayud took the helm as government leader, the army also pushed for the purchase of armoured vehicles from Ukraine.
But ACM Chalit, who chaired the now-defunct coup-making body _ the Council for National Security _ after army chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin stepped down, dismissed the criticism. The arms purchase was a long-term plan as the country needed new planes to replace the old, Vietnam-era F5 fighters, he argued.
An independent security source said the Gripen deal underlined the need for Thailand to end the domination of military equipment from the US, which is Thailand’s key security ally.
”The freeze in defence assistance after the coup was a factor. It made the top brass realise that it is time for diversification,” said the source. The US ban was affecting the nation’s security, its ability to defend itself.
”The temporary ban on defence aid definitely was a factor”.
The Gripen jets will be replacing the US-made F5 fighters which are gradually being phased out. The last F5s will be retired in the same year the Swedish planes arrive. Thailand’s first squadron of 12 F16 jets were purchased from the US in 1988, followed by further orders of new and refurbished F16s. By 2039 they will all be retired, according to the air force leader.
The six Gripen planes will be stationed at Surat Thani air base where the F5s are being decommissioned. ”Gripens are more suitable for operations over the sea,” said ACM Chalit.
The location where the new jets will be stationed is very important.
The fighters, which will be equipped with air-to-ship missiles, will be the main protector of the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea. They will also be available for the southern provinces where the insurgency has disrupted security since 2004.
”Gripens will be a cover for the Thai navy,” he said. ”They will not be here as part of an arms race. They will be here for defence purposes.”
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/17Mar2008_news21.php
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PS. The Thai Gripen model show IRIS-T. Hope we got that one too. 🙂
Old news back to the signing date. But worth to look also.
AIR FORCE / PURCHASE OF SWEDISH FIGHTER AIRCRAFT
Chalit hopes Samak govt won’t review Gripen jets deal
WASSANA NANUAM
Air force chief ACM Chalit Phukphasuk points at a model of the Swedish
Gripen jet fighter during a press conference at air force headquarters at Don Muang. The air force chief returned yesterday from Sweden, where he signed a deal to buy six Gripen JAS-39 C/D multi-purpose aircraft.
Air force chief ACM Chalit Phukphasuk hopes the Samak government will rise above politics and approve the second half of the Gripen jet fighter package with Sweden.
He also fervently hopes Prime Minister and Defence Minister Samak Sundaravej will not reconsider the 19-billion-baht order he signed this week for six of the multi-purpose jets.
ACM Chalit, who was a key member of the military junta that toppled the Thaksin government in 2006, was speaking yesterday on his arrival back from Sweden, where he signed a memorandum of understanding to buy six Gripen JAS-39 C/D aircraft.
The air force commander said Mr Samak and the new government should not review the deal.
”If politics changes the project, then our politics and our nation will be regarded as unreliable by the world community,” he said.
”But I believe in the prime minister and defence minister because he is a senior figure in society and has been in politics for a long time.”
ACM Chalit said he had earlier explained the deal to Mr Samak. The prime minister had not baulked at the price and he believed Mr Samak had a good understanding of the deal.
The purchase of the first six Gripen aircraft was approved by the Surayud Chulanont cabinet on Jan 24, just before it completed its tenure.
The air force earlier submitted a 34-billion-baht proposal to buy 12 of the planes to replace its old Vietnam-era Northrop F5E fighters.
The cabinet agreed the air force should buy six jets first, using a five-year tied-over budget starting this year.
ACM Chalit said he was not certain the other six planes would be bought.
”The procurement of the other six will depend on my junior officers at the air force, and the new government as I am retiring this September,” he said. Sweden is to deliver the first three planes in January 2011 and the other three in March that year.
The air force chief said the Gripen order marks a new era of military aircraft purchases. Thailand used to depend mostly on American products.
The air force earlier planned to upgrade its F16 C/D jets, but the US shelved assistance for upgrading the planes after the coup on Sept 19, 2006.
Under the Swedish deal, Gripen agreed to supply all accessories, including radar systems and air-to-ship, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles that are comparable to the advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles of the US, ACM Chalit added.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/140208_News/14Feb2008_news08.php
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There are some issues here.
– “The air force earlier planned to upgrade its F16 C/D jets, but the US shelved assistance for upgrading the planes after the coup on Sept 19, 2006.” ….. it’s actually restart now. According to this news. Also Thai Gripen will be equipped with US weapon.
ACM Ittipol Supawong, Chief of Staff of Royal Thai Air Force welcomed Major General jeffrey A. Remington, Director of Air, Space and Information Operations, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii on 4 Feb 2008 to discuss about the Exercise Cope Tiger 08 and MLU program on F-16. They were also discussed about the procurement of weapon that would equipped with F-5, F-16, and Gripen.
– ”The procurement of the other six will depend on my junior officers at the air force, and the new government as I am retiring this September,” ….. so it’s mean that the second batch will be approved in late 2008 at the most early date. But I expect the approval in mid-2009 to meet the Thai Gripen production line so they can establish a 12-jets sqn. in the same time.
– There are still no news about the review of the program now.
Non-Subscriber Extract
Royal Thai Air Force pushes for second Gripen batch
By Jon Grevatt
15 February 2008
The prime minister of Thailand, Samak Sundaravej, who is also defence minister, has been urged by the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) to approve the purchase of a second batch of Gripen JAS 39 multirole combat aircraft.
Finances for the first batch of six fighters were approved at the end of last year by the former Thai government, which also gave a go-ahead – in principle only – for the acquisition of the second batch of six to take place.
Air Marshal Kanit Suwannate told Jane’s on 14 February that the RTAF hoped the new government would approve the funds for second purchase within 18 months.
106 of 249 words
© 2008 Jane’s Information Group
End of non-subscriber extract
http://www.janes.com/news/defence/air/jdi/jdi080215_1_n.shtml
Are you sure about that? Those models look like RTAF roundels applied to standard presentation models. The real things are supposed to be delivered in 2011, so RTAF has some time to decide.
So that’s why I said the initial answer. :diablo: Because those model is in the press conference held by RTAF on Gripen program. But they can change later.
Analayo: Are you sure about the four D’s and two C’s? Seems a little on the odd side, I would have thought it would be the other way around.
I am sure about that because this is the first phase. It’s seem like RTAF want to focus on training. The second phase will be different.
RTAF also mentions this in its official release ( http://www.rtaf.mi.th/news/n07/gripen/Gripen_39.pdf )
I don’t think the Gripen will fly in that cool camo, but more like the standard two tone grey, I found this pic some time ago and I suspect it to be more accurate.
He He He. This photo is the fan art also. (create by my friend. We have many fan art photos of F-16C/D, Su-30, and Gripen in Thailand) The eagle in this photo is belong to 211 sqn. which operating F-5T Tigres. So it can not be the eagle on Gripen. (But I have to say it is more beautiful)
701 Sqn., the new home of Gripen, uses word ‘SRT’ like the photo on comment #5. But we still don’t know if Wing7 will continues using ‘SRT’ or design the new one. We have to wait and see. 😎
Reference. F-5T Tigres of 211 Sqn.
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