The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration has awarded Saab a contract worth about $553.6 billion to deliver four Gripen fighter aircraft to Thailand. The deal calls for the supply of three Gripen E and one Gripen F aircraft, along with related equipment and support services to the Royal Thai Air Force starting this year and ending in 2030, Saab said on Monday.
More purchases may follow. The Riksdag has already authorized the government to enter into further agreements with Thailand for up to 12 Gripen E/F fighters.
Technology Transfer and Industrial Cooperation
Saab said it has signed a contract with the Thai air force for a long-term offset package as part of the aircraft acquisition. The package includes Saab defense technology transfer, industrial cooperation with Thailand and new company investments in the country.
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In 2024, the aerospace company secured a multimillion-dollar order from FMV to advance the Gripen platform’s capabilities, an agreement it had said would benefit both the Swedish Armed Forces and international users of the fighter jet.
Gripen’s Strengths
Saab’s Gripen product page says the fighters are engineered with technical solutions such as an upgradable avionics architecture, ensuring they can maintain superiority in the battlespace for many years ahead.
Micael Johansson, Saab president and CEO, welcomed the Gripen E/F’s latest buyer. “Thailand is already a well-established Gripen user and familiar with the strengths that Gripen brings to the Royal Thai Armed Forces,” he said.
The Thai air force fleet already includes a squadron of Gripen C/D multi-role fighters that will operate with the new Gripen E/F aircraft.