[Thai] Pilots itching to fly latest Gripens, seen as a new force in the region
February 23, 2011
The Nation
After a long wait for the much-heralded Swedish-made Gripen jet fighters to be commissioned, Royal Thai Air Force pilots are now itching to fly the new aircraft that will replace vintage F-5 fighters.
The Gripen, with the designated code of JAS-39 C/D, has technological advantages 30 years ahead of even the US-made F-16 fighters, the newest aircraft in the RTAF, according to Wing Cmdr Natthawut Duangsoongnern.
One of six pilots who underwent the basic flight course on the Gripen, Natthawut said: "The RTAF's addition of Gripen is a significant addition to air power in the region."
With full use of its support systems, including weaponry and air defence, Gripen is regarded as a fighter of the future, said Natthawut, who with five other pilots was selected from more than 20 with F-5 and F-16 flying experience.
Wing Cmdr Jakkrit Thammawichai is commander of Wing 701 in Surat Thani where the first six Gripen will be stationed. He said another six Gripen jets and their support systems would be handed to Thailand later.
Four of the fighters are two-seaters for training, while the other eight, the C model, are one-seaters.The RTAF purchase of Gripens provides not only the fighter jets, but also an entire support system that includes technology transfer and scholarship and supplementary training in advanced technology.
With real-time data links through encryption among all jets, the Gripen is superior to other fighters that have equivalent technology, meaning that the Gripen can fight or defeat enemy fighters at a ratio of one to four, or even one to eight.
"This well explains why we don't need to employ them in large numbers," he said.
Unlike deployment of mainly US-made fighters, in which technology regarding electronics warfare has been classified, Gripen offers open training including electronic countermeasures.
"This means we can stand on our own in terms of mastering difficult and advanced technologies. This is a great leap forward for the RTAF," he said.
The six pilots will train another four after they fully complete entire courses.
February 23, 2011
The Nation
After a long wait for the much-heralded Swedish-made Gripen jet fighters to be commissioned, Royal Thai Air Force pilots are now itching to fly the new aircraft that will replace vintage F-5 fighters.
The Gripen, with the designated code of JAS-39 C/D, has technological advantages 30 years ahead of even the US-made F-16 fighters, the newest aircraft in the RTAF, according to Wing Cmdr Natthawut Duangsoongnern.
One of six pilots who underwent the basic flight course on the Gripen, Natthawut said: "The RTAF's addition of Gripen is a significant addition to air power in the region."
With full use of its support systems, including weaponry and air defence, Gripen is regarded as a fighter of the future, said Natthawut, who with five other pilots was selected from more than 20 with F-5 and F-16 flying experience.
Wing Cmdr Jakkrit Thammawichai is commander of Wing 701 in Surat Thani where the first six Gripen will be stationed. He said another six Gripen jets and their support systems would be handed to Thailand later.
Four of the fighters are two-seaters for training, while the other eight, the C model, are one-seaters.The RTAF purchase of Gripens provides not only the fighter jets, but also an entire support system that includes technology transfer and scholarship and supplementary training in advanced technology.
With real-time data links through encryption among all jets, the Gripen is superior to other fighters that have equivalent technology, meaning that the Gripen can fight or defeat enemy fighters at a ratio of one to four, or even one to eight.
"This well explains why we don't need to employ them in large numbers," he said.
Unlike deployment of mainly US-made fighters, in which technology regarding electronics warfare has been classified, Gripen offers open training including electronic countermeasures.
"This means we can stand on our own in terms of mastering difficult and advanced technologies. This is a great leap forward for the RTAF," he said.
The six pilots will train another four after they fully complete entire courses.
10 comments:
Hello,
Since Thailand can only afford to buy 12 Gripen for Sweden. How many can Cambodia buy? one Gripen aircraft tire, probably.
Cambodia needs a fighter airplance like the Gripen to counter the Thai or buy more SAM Missiles from Russia to shot down the Gripen. That's the only way Cambodia can some how take on Thailand.
Mr. Hun Sen has about $4-6 billion dollar in the bank. Why can he used some of his money to buy 20 Gripen from Sweden (say 1 Gripen cost $60-90 mm per plane. So that's only cost him about $1.7 nillion dollars.
Any ideas how we Khmer can defend our land from the Thai invader?
Khmer USA
Hello,
Since Thailand can only afford to buy 12 Gripen from Sweden. How many can Cambodia buy? one Gripen aircraft tire, probably.
Cambodia needs a fighter jet like the Gripen to counter the Thai or buy more SAM Missiles from Russia to shot down the Gripen. That's the only way Cambodia can, some how take on Thailand.
Mr. Hun Sen has about $4-6 billion dollar in the bank. Why can he used some of his money to buy 20 Gripens from Sweden (say 1 Gripen cost $60-90 mm per plane. So that's only cost him about $1.7 nillion dollars.
Any ideas how we Khmer can defend our land from the Thai invader?
Khmer USA
DR. Hun Sen has bought two nuclear bombs from old soviet union. These nuclear bombs secretly sell by Russia Mafia to Dr. Hun Sen last 3 weeks ago. It cost US$1 billions just two bombs. Dr. Hun Sen will only use these bombs to protect his power if Thai use aircrafts to invate him. So it doesn't matter how many tanks, aircrafts weapons thai military has. Two Nucleau bombs are more than enough for Dr. Hun Sen end the war with thai.
Is Cambodia that threatening to Thailand? I didn't know Thailand that scared of Cambodia.
Buy more heat missiles. 5 for each jet!!!
dek cho don't want to spend his billions for that junk plane because bunrany won't let him spent her money.I heard she ask for more from UN .
I read somewhere that these Gripen jets cost about $100 million each. With this sort of price, Cambodia can only on afford a few. But Cambodia has no pilot to fly these jets. It need more than 3 years to train pilot to fly these sort of jets skilfully.
I think Cambodia should buy some of these jets to counter the Thai threats. If we have some jets, Thailand would think twice before picking a fight with Cambodia because any fight will cause casualties on both sides.
The government of Cambodia should issue a statement condemn Sweden who sold these warplanes to the aggressor's Thailand who threat the stability of the region, these airplane are not for defence purpose it will use against Cambodia and her people by Thai army.
I personally condemn Swedish government and company who sold these airplane to Thai aggressor.
When these warplane kill innocent people the Swedish must resposible for it.
In ASEAN Thai had more arm than any among others member therefore it made the region imbalance.
Thai can not even control a small rebel group in the south of Thailand.
To control Cambodia Thailand need more than military hard-wares.
The map show clearly that 4.6 km2 is in Cambodia. I wonder how Thailand would explain to the ICJ.
Thailand would end up paying for all the cost of the war and the suffering of the Cambodian side,if the the ruling by the ICJ prove that Thailand is wrong.
I think the world community too will condemn Thailand for its aggression.
Thailand will never win the war nor the battle.Khmer are not in the 18th 0r 19th century when Thai just walked in and grabbed land as much as they did. They will face a severe resistant forces from all fronts.
True Khmer
Is it bullet prove?
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