Thai air force seeks earlier funding for eight more Gripen fighters

The Royal Thai Air Force plans to seek funding for eight more Saab Gripen E/F fighters in the fiscal 2027 budget, bringing forward a proposed purchase that would complete its planned fleet of 12 aircraft to replace ageing F-16s.

Air Chief Marshal Seksan Kantha, the air force commander-in-chief, outlined the intended timetable on 12 October, according to Air Data News. Earlier plans envisaged requesting funding in fiscal 2028. The additional aircraft have not been ordered, and the proposal remains subject to budget and government approval.

Eight aircraft in one funding request

The proposed request would consolidate the remaining eight fighters into a single purchase rather than divide them into smaller batches. In July, Seksan said the air force intended to seek funding for all eight together.

Thailand originally planned to acquire 12 Gripen E/F aircraft in three phases over ten years. Approval of the eight-aircraft proposal would remove the need for a third procurement phase and complete that planned fleet.

The new fighters are intended to replace F-16A/B aircraft operated by Wing 1 at Nakhon Ratchasima. The accelerated timetable concerns the funding request; the report does not establish a delivery schedule for the additional eight aircraft.

First four fighters due from 2029

Only the first four Gripen E/F fighters are currently on order. Thailand signed a government-to-government agreement with Sweden in August 2025 covering three single-seat Gripen Es and one two-seat Gripen F.

Saab valued that order at approximately 5.3 billion Swedish kronor, equivalent to about US$550 million at the time. The package includes equipment, support and training, alongside a long-term offset agreement covering technology transfer and industrial cooperation.

The first aircraft are in production, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2029 and continue through 2030. Those dates apply to the initial four-aircraft order, not the proposed follow-on purchase.

Thailand already operates Gripen C/D fighters, which entered Royal Thai Air Force service in 2011. The new E/F aircraft will initially serve alongside the older Gripens.

Training and infrastructure part of the plan

During his 12 October remarks, Seksan said manned fighters remained necessary despite the growing role of unmanned systems, because some combat decisions still required human judgement.

He also said future acquisitions needed to provide enough aircraft to protect Thailand’s airspace, together with personnel training, infrastructure and technology transfer.

The next step is therefore a funding decision rather than a confirmed expansion of the order. The first four fighters remain the only committed purchase, while the air force seeks approval to acquire the rest of its planned fleet sooner.