US EditionThailand Goes Nordic for New Fighter Jets, Drops Uncle Sam’s F-16s Amid Tariff Trouble
- On June 4, 2025, the Royal Thai Air Force announced its plan to acquire Saab's JAS 39 E/F to replace its aging F-16 A/B fleet as part of a multi-year effort to modernize its combat aircraft.
- Thailand chose the Gripen E/F after a 10-month review and a procurement committee recommendation in August 2024, partly influenced by tariffs on American aircraft.
- Saab, a Swedish aircraft maker, will negotiate the contract with Thailand and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, offering a long-term offset package to create jobs and investments.
- The initial purchase is expected to include four Gripen jets worth about US$500 million, with plans to acquire 12 aircraft over a decade, supporting Thailand's modernization efforts.
- This choice shifts Thailand’s air power toward a Nordic platform and may complicate tariff negotiations with the U.S. While promising enhanced independent air sovereignty.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Thailand goes Nordic for new fighter jets, drops Uncle Sam’s F-16s amid tariff trouble
BANGKOK, June 4 — Thailand on Wednesday announced plans to buy four Gripen fighter jets in a US$500 million deal, choosing the Swedish-made planes over American F-16s as it renews its air combat fleet. The Gripen E/F models, made by Nordic industrial giant Saab, will replace the Royal Thai Air Force’s older F-16 A/B jets bought in the 1980s. The announcement is the first phase of a 10-year plan to buy 12 fighter aircraft as Thailand updates its …
The Royal Thai Air Force has confirmed the choice of the Gripen E/F as the next fighter aircraft. Saab and the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV) will now follow the successive phases of the acquisition procedure with the Kingdom of Thailand. Moreover, Saab specified at the time of not having signed any contract nor, let alone, of having received an order relative to this announcement from the authorities of Bangkok. Beyond the fighte…
Hit by Trump Tariffs and Failed to Get US F-35s, Thailand Chooses to Buy Swedish Gripen Fighter Jets
Indonesia's neighbor opted for Swedish-made aircraft over American F-16 fighter jets. The Kingdom of Thailand has announced plans to buy four...
The Swedish manufacturer and the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV) will then take the necessary steps to complete the planned acquisition of these fighters, which have definitively beaten the F-16 model of the US firm Lockheed Martin, as planned, according to the preference previously expressed by both the Asian Ministry of Defence and its Air Force on various occasions.For the time being, the manufacturer has not yet signed the rele…
Tariffs Drive Thailand to Nordic Fighters and Drop F-16s
Bangkok, June 5 - Thailand has made a pivotal decision in its military modernization efforts, opting to procure four Gripen E/F fighter jets from Sweden's Saab in a $500 million deal, turning away from the American-made F-16s that have long served as a cornerstone of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF). This move marks the first phase of a 10-year plan to acquire 12 new fighter aircraft, aimed at replacing the aging F-16 A/B models purchased in the …
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