"Unfree" country gets to buy JAS Gripen
Updated 14.55 | Published 12.32
Thailand buys Jas 39 Gripen, a big deal that is important for both Saab and Sweden.
At the same time, we are now arming a state that, according to UI, is not a "democratic country, not even on paper".
- All countries have the right to defend themselves, says Minister of Defense Pål Jonson (M).
Thailand is buying four Jas 39 Gripen, in the latest version E/F, from Sweden and Saab.
The contract was signed at a ceremony at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm today.
The order is worth SEK 5.3 billion.
A large Thai delegation, led by Air Force Chief Punpakdee Pattanakul, is on site for the contract signing.
Thailand already has 11 Gripen in the C/D model, and used the plane sharply in a brief border conflict with Cambodia this summer.
Thailand has expressed interest in buying 12 new Gripen planes from Sweden, but the first contracts signed are for four planes.
The plane is to be delivered from 2029.
- It strengthens our air defense the more countries that use Gripen E, says Minister of Defense Pål Jonson.
– Then we can jointly further develop that platform and jointly invest in the upgrades that we constantly need to make. We will gain economies of scale and we can allocate more resources for research and development.
Does this increase the chance that more countries will want to buy Gripen?
– Today's announcement is of course a confirmation of Thailand's great confidence in the Gripen system and that it is choosing to make the journey from Gripen C/D to Gripen E. I also know that there are other countries
that are very interested in Gripen, says Pål Jonson.
ISP grants permission
The Swedish defense industry is not allowed to sell its weapons just any way. Large arms deals are always political commitments.
Permission for military equipment exports is granted by the agency, the Inspectorate for Strategic Products (ISP), if it is needed for the Swedish defense's own material supply or if there are security policy reasons.
Since 2018, there has been a special democracy criterion in the legislation, where the democratic status shall constitute a central condition for a country to be allowed to buy military equipment from Sweden.
Not a democracy
However, Thailand is not a democracy, “not even on paper”, according to the Swedish Institute for Foreign Policy.
The military still has a great deal of influence, with guaranteed seats in parliament. The “Forward” party that won the 2023 election was prevented from forming a government, and has since been completely dissolved by the Constitutional Court.
The think tank Freedom House describes Thailand as “unfree”, and in this year’s index the country has moved backwards.
Why is it right to arm that type of regime?
– All countries have the right to defend themselves as long as they use their armed forces within the framework of international law and public order. We are of course also in dialogue with Thailand linked to democracy and the fight against corruption and those parts, says Pål Jonson.
– We have broad and extensive cooperation, but for the Swedish defense capability it is important again that we have the opportunity to share development costs on the fighter jet system.
Saab CEO Micael Johansson and Thailand's Air Force Chief Punpakdee Pattanakul sign one of the several contracts that were signed in Stockholm.
Can you expiain a little more clearly why the democracy criterion is not applicable in this case or why other interests outweigh?
– ISP makes assessments on a case-by-case basis and you also have the Export Control Council that you get guidance from in these cases. Then it is a balanced assessment that ISP makes.
There have also been developments, of course, in Thailand when it comes to the development of democracy and these are also important parameters that ISP weighs in, but it is ISP that makes the final decision.
“Important for us”
From a purely industrial perspective, Gripen sales to Thailand are important.
Before today, only Brazil and Sweden have ordered Gripen E, but more countries are interested, and each new customer increases the chance of more deals.
All countries that choose Gripen E are important to us, because it creates knowledge about the system, says Saab CEO Micael Johansson.
– There are other countries that are also considering which path to take, so for us it is very important.
Colombia, Peru and the Philippines are the countries that have most clearly expressed interest in Saab's fighter aircraft.
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