Sweden denies stopping fighter jet deal with Thailand
Thai government insists relations are unaffected despite reports of Gripen used in border strikes
A major international defence deal is under threat after claims surfaced that Sweden may freeze a fighter jet sale to Thailand.
Thailand Deputy Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit has firmly dismissed reports that Sweden plans to halt a fighter jet agreement with Thailand due to concerns about the jets being used in recent air strikes against Cambodia.
This came after allegations surfaced in the Cambodian press, claiming Sweden was reconsidering the sale of Gripen fighter jets to Thailand following the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) use of similar jets in border clashes.
“I have not received any official notification regarding the suspension of the fighter jet deal. Thailand’s relationship with Sweden remains stable,” said Nattaphon.
These comments were in response to a report by Cambodia’s Phnom Penh Post, which claimed Sweden was considering pausing the Gripen deal after the jets were deployed in air strikes.
The Phnom Penh Post shared on its social media:
“For nearly 40 years, Sweden’s Gripen aircraft have never killed anyone. Thailand was the first nation to use them in combat.”
This statement referred to a report from the Breaking Defence website, which revealed that Thailand used its JAS 39 Gripen C/D fighter jets, purchased from Sweden, in recent air strikes along the Thai-Cambodian border.
Further stirring the pot, Breaking Defence reported that Thailand has plans to purchase 12 additional Gripen E/F jets, which would complement its existing fleet of 11 Gripen C/D aircraft. Sweden’s Foreign Affairs Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard was quoted in the article, though she did not confirm the approval of the new sale. Instead, she stated that Sweden was “closely monitoring developments in the border conflict,” reported Bangkok Post.
Interestingly, the Saab JAS 39 Gripen had never seen combat use before, having been deployed for reconnaissance and NATO operations, such as air policing missions and the 2011 NATO intervention in Libya. The recent air strikes marked the fighter jets’ first use in actual combat since their debut 37 years ago.
Despite these reports, both the Thai government and Sweden continue to maintain their official stance that the deal is unaffected, leaving the fate of the jets—and the relationship—up in the air.
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