Thai Air force chief, Chalit Phukphasuk, confirmed on October 17, 2007 that the air force will buy six JAS-39 Gripen multi-role fighter jets from Sweden for 19 billion baht which will be suitable for tasks in the South of Thailand and around the Andaman Sea.
ACM Chalit said the air force will buy six JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets from Sweden’s Saab for 19 billion baht. The fund, he said, will come from a five-year budget starting this fiscal year.
He said that the air force will buy six other jets after a new government is formed, which will be after the Dec 23 general election.
On Tuesday, the cabinet agreed the air force could buy 12 Gripen aircrafts to replace its ageing American-made F-5E fighters at a cost of 34.4 billion baht.
“We have taken into consideration the aircraft we have, and we have processed this matter over a long period of time,” ACM Chalit claimed at a press conference. “We proposed it through the Defence Ministry.”
He insisted that the procurement is transparent and is worth the money spent.
