Thai air force will replace twelve fighter jets with new aircraft

BANGKOK – Thailand’s air force chief will fly to Sweden and the US this month to discuss details of a planned purchase of new fighter jets, a deal that could include a technology transfer deal to boost the Southeast Asian country’s emerging arms industry to improve.

Air Chief Marshal Panpakdee Pattanakul has set his sights on the Swedish-made Gripen or the American-made F-16 Block 70/72 to replace a squadron of twelve aging F-16 As and F-16 ADFs. The plan was outlined earlier this year in a white paper published by the Thai Air Force to explain its security assessment for the period 2024-2037.