By Thai Newsroom Reporters
PRIME MINISTER SRETTHA Thavisin today (July 16) reconfirmed that a fighter purchase deal between Thailand and a manufacturing country would likely be done on the basis of an “offset policy.”
In a press conference at Government House, the Pheu Thai-attached prime minister reiterated that the air force’s sought-after squadron of fighter jets would likely be procured under the “offset policy” which may conditionally call for a barter trade of products between Thailand and the manufacturing country.
The prime minister stopped short of saying what kind of Thai goods could possibly be offered in the sought-after barter trade with the multirole combat aircraft either from the United States or Sweden.
“Given an enormous sum of money (to buy the chosen fighters), both manufacturing firms would be ultimately obliged to offer the best cost-effective options,” the prime minister said, referring to Lockheed Martin, the US manufacturer of the F-16 Block 70 Fighting Falcon, and Saab, the Swedish manufacturer of the JAS 39E Gripen.
The prime minister said the Pheu Thai-led government is yet to make a final decision to choose between the F-16 Block 70 and the JAS 39E Gripen fighter jets.
Nevertheless, Srettha assured that the government will by no means interfere in the air force’s fighter purchase plan whilst commanding air marshals have reportedly evaluated and recommended the Swedish-built jets.
Defence Minister Suthin Khlangsang recently said the commanding air marshals’ remarks on preferable multirole fighter jets will undoubtedly be taken into consideration whilst such a procurement project has a long way to go yet.
Srettha said he talked on the telephone yesterday with US Ambassador to Thailand Robert Godec to discuss the air force’s fighter purchase plan with options to choose between the F-16 Block 70 and Gripen fighter jets and the Thai government’s “offset policy” but declined to go into details.
The air force has reportedly earmarked an estimated 19 billion baht in funding for the next fiscal year for the planned purchase of four combat aircraft to replace some of the ageing General Dynamics F-16 A/B and F-16 ADF jets currently deployed at Wing 1 in Korat and Wing 4 in Takhli whilst a squadron of Gripen jets are currently deployed at Wing 7 in Surat Thani.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page: Artist’s rendition of the F-16 Block 70 that will be built for Bahrain. Credit: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company and published by Airforce-technology.com
Insert: A Saab Gripen E series fighter jet. Photo: Saab.com
Also read: F-16 or Gripen jets not final yet: Suthin
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