Sweden in further bid to entice deal on jets

With a decision on the procurement of new jetfighters for the Royal Thai Air Force reportedly having come down to either Russian or US aircraft, Sweden, the other prospective vendor, was pressing the case for its aircraft yesterday. Lars Danielsson, deputy minister of the Swedish Prime Minister’s Office, in Bangkok yesterday, said that Sweden would also throw in a hi-tech radar system for the 12 Gripen JAS 39 jetfighters as well as complete technology transfer – including source codes for the planes – that would allow Thailand to customise its air defence technology to suit its needs.

All three countries have agreed to the barter notion in concept as presented by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2004 in an effort to spare the trade balance.

“It would be 100-per-cent barter and we are open to that” said Danielsson, who was in Bangkok yesterday to discuss the ongoing reform efforts of the United Nations with government officials, as well as bilateral cooperation. “And we want to transfer technology so that the customer has a feeling of ownership of the technology.”

“We hope the [decision-making] process will be open and transparent.”

Thailand wants to barter chickens, shrimp and agricultural products for the planes.

Danielsson’s visit came as the verdict over which country’s jetfighters the government will opt for has seemingly hit a standstill.

The Air Force last year established a committee to decide which planes to purchase and it has reportedly already made its decision. However, sources told The Nation that while ACM Chalit Pukpasuk, the Air Force chief, is keen on American F-16s or F/A-18s, Thaksin favours Russian SU-30s.

The Air Force currently flies F-16s among other planes and its pilots are obviously familiar with them. But in 2004 it sent two pilots to Sweden to train on and fly the Gripens, which are made by in cooperation between Sweden’s Saab and British Aerospace.

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