Saab has signed a contract with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) and received an order for four Gripen E/F fighter aircraft from FMV for the Kingdom of Thailand. The order value is approximately SEK 5.3 billion and deliveries will take place 2025-2030.
The contract between Saab and FMV includes three Gripen E and one Gripen F aircraft as well as associated equipment, support and training.
Saab has also signed a contract with the Royal Thai Air Force to deliver a long-term offset package to Thailand as part of the fighter acquisition plan. This will include significant transfer of defence technology and industrial cooperation with Thailand together with new investments across many sectors of the national economy.
“We welcome Thailand as the latest customer for Gripen E/F. Thailand is already a well-established Gripen user and familiar with the strengths that Gripen brings to the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Thailand has chosen the most modern fighter on the market with which to build its next generation of strategic, independent capabilities,” says Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab.
The Royal Thai Air Force currently operates one squadron of Gripen C/D multi-role fighters. Once in operation, the new Gripen E/F fighters will operate alongside Thailand’s existing Gripen fighter force.
The Royal Thai Air Force will power the new jets GE Aerospace’s advanced F414-GE-39E engines as part the a government-to-government agreement between Thailand and Sweden.
“The F414-GE-39E delivers the power, reliability, and adaptability needed for next-generation combat capability, and we’re honoured to support Thailand as it expands its Gripen fleet,” said Shawn Warren, vice president and general manager, Combat and Trainer Engines at GE Aerospace. “This agreement continues a longstanding collaboration between GE Aerospace, Saab, and international air forces around the world.”
The contract builds on Thailand’s existing fleet of Gripen C/D aircraft, which are powered by GE Aerospace’s RM12 engine, a derivative of the F404, that were acquired in 2008. Thailand is the third country to acquire the Saab Gripen E/F powered by the F414-GE-39E engine, joining Sweden and Brazil. This purchase also establishes Thailand as the first nation in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region to adopt the aircraft.
With more than 1,600 F414 engines delivered and over 5 million flight hours logged, the F414 engine family continues to deliver proven performance in demanding environments, supporting advanced combat platforms worldwide.
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