Deputy Prime Minister Prajin Juntong was quoted as saying by Xinhua Thursday that Saab JAS 39 Gripen multirole combat aircraft as “technologically advanced” and suggested that his successor buy an additional four Swedish jet fighters.
The Thai air force currently deploys the 12 Swedish fighters at Air Wing 7 in the southern province of Surat Thani. The Gripen fighter squadron was procured in 2008 to replace the United States’ ageing F-5 Tiger fighters. One JAS 39 Gripen fighter is currently estimated to cost 69 million US dollars.