The Saab Solution

The Royal Thai Air Force has marked 10 years since ordering the Saab Gripen and notched up 10,000 fl ying hours. These milestones refl ect an innovative approach to fi ghter operations in this region, and one that is rapidly evolving to meet future needs. REPORT Jamie Hunter

HEN THE ROYAL approach, buying an unusual range of Thai Air Force (RTAF) types to suit its diverse range of needs began researching a and to help court various allies. new ghter aircraft As far back as 2001, Thailand was to replace its ageing talking about a requirement for anything W F-5E Tiger IIs of Wing between 16 and 24 new aircraft to 7 at Surat Thani, it thought outside replace its older F-5s and complement its the box. Not only was it looking for a newer F-16s — but this was much more new shooter, but this forward-looking than just a ghter requirement. It was air arm also wanted the sensors and the creation of a complete integrated air infrastructure to tie together a new defense system for southern Thailand. In net-centric aspiration. Traditionally typical fashion, the RTAF was looking at a purchaser of US military hardware, some creative solutions. Russia’s Sukhoi Thailand had something of a scattergun Su-30MKI was in the frame, as was Sweden’s Saab JAS 39C/D Gripen.

The Saab solution The Royal Thai Air Force Saab was able to o er essentially a plug- received eight and-play solution — a complete Swedish JAS 39Cs and air power package closely based on the four two-seat D-models. proven domestic pairing of the Gripen and Two of these the Saab 340 Erieye airborne early warning carry AIM-120 and control (AEW&C) aircraft. AMRAAMs in this shot. Budgets were a huge factor for the Katsuhiko Thais. Indeed, they were unable to reach Tokunaga/DACT

56 February 2019 // www.combataircraft.net LEAN, MEAN, FIGHTING MACHINE

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We ﬂ ew 200 sorties in ‘Pitch Black’ with a 100 per cent mission-capable rate, up from 98 per cent the ﬁ rst time we went in 2014

Wg Cdr Kritsana Sukdee

the numbers of aircraft they aspired to. A materielverk), and the rst six Gripens system — consisting of the rst six Gripens contract was signed in February 2008 for a arrived at Surat Thani, some 529km south and the Erieye — operational. rst batch of six new-build JAS 39C/Ds and of Bangkok, on February 22, 2011. A Martin Mann, the FMV’s Gripen program a single second-hand Erieye, drawn from maiden ight in the local hot and humid director in Thailand, told Combat Aircraft surplus Swedish Air Force stocks. Sweden conditions was conducted on March 15, that the four D-model two-seaters were operated six of the AEW&C platforms, but with the rst Thai squadron commander front-loaded into the rst batch for a fortuitous situation arose thanks to a Wg Cdr Jackkrit Thammavichai at the training reasons. A further batch of six change in operational concepts, which controls and Claes Wikström from the Gripens and a second Saab 340 Erieye meant it had available airframes. The Swedish Air Force in the rear seat of was ordered in 2010. ‘The second contract government-to-government deal, known JAS 39D serial 70104. The rst Erieye had was for six single-seaters to be delivered as Peace Suvarnabhumi I, was managed actually preceded the Gripens, arriving by September 2013’, he says. ‘These by the Swedish Defence Materiel in December 2010. On July 8, 2011, the were delivered in two batches, three Administration, the FMV (Försvarets RTAF o cially declared its new air defense aircraft in April and three in September.’ The second deal also included the sea- skimming RB-15F anti-ship missile, but Thailand sourced its remaining Gripen Above: Three RTAF Gripens perform weapons directly. a sharp break The overall contract was valued at for the camera. approximately 34 billion baht ($1.1 billion) Mainly dedicated to air-to-air, the for the entire air power package. The Gripens are also two Erieyes were supplied as what Mann able to conduct calls ‘a special o er’. The RTAF wanted precision strike missions. AEW aircraft but didn’t have the budget, Katsuhiko so the FMV added them as a ‘low-cost Tokunaga/DACT option’. The Erieyes also came with a basic Left: Fg Off command and control system that has Piyachart been regularly updated. It integrates with ‘Stark’ Siribool a network of ground-based radars and the inspects an IRIS-T short-range indigenous Link T system, a Saab datalink air-to-air missile. that networks the Gripens with the Erieye Thai Gripens ﬂ y and ground stations. with AIM-9M Sidewinders too. In typical Swedish style, the deal Jamie Hunter included an attractive series of o sets,

58 February 2019 // www.combataircraft.net including scholarships that formed part of a skills-building and education package including full-time study in Sweden for CHIANG MAI • Thai students.

• UDON THANI

Surat Thani ‘Sharks’ • PHITSANULOK • KHOK KA THIEM As backpackers and holidaymakers arrive at the small airport terminal at Surat TAKHLI • • UBON RATCHATHANI Thani, situated smack-bang between • KORAT

Koh Samui and Phuket, many notice KAMPHAENG SAEN • the green military aircraft shelters on • BANGKOK/DON MUANG the north-west side of the air eld. Immaculate maintenance hangars and Bottom: Gripens an associated operations building belong in formation PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN • with a Saab 340 to Wing 7, which today comprises two Erieye. The RTAF units. 701 Squadron ‘Sharks’ ies 11 received its Saab Gripens, while 702 operates six Saab 340s. 340 training in Sweden Unfortunately, one JAS 39C (70108) was and today SURAT THANI • lost during an air display on January 14, Thai Aviation 2017, killing the pilot Sqn Ldr Dilokrit Industries supports the Pattavee. Sweden supplied the two Erieyes six examples. plus one ‘vanilla’ transport version. In Katsuhiko addition, the RTAF has procured a further Tokunaga/DACT Saab 340 transport and two additional Below: The examples on the open market. The latter Swedish package pair have been converted as special included the Standing proudly outside the Wing 7 commander of Wing 7. ‘Our primary RB-15F anti-ship mission communications and electronic missile. headquarters is an OV-10G Bronco, the role is air-to-air, with a secondary role intelligence (COMINT/ELINT) platforms. Jamie Hunter main type operated here until 1991 when of strike,’ he told Combat Aircraft. The the F-5s arrived. Tiger II derivatives — Gripens also provide quick reaction alert F-5A/Bs, RF-5As and F-5E/Fs — continued (QRA) at Surat Thani and the pilots are to patrol the Gulf of Thailand and expected to be airborne in ve minutes Andaman Sea region until the arrival of from receiving the initial scramble call. the Gripens. Tippayarat says the squadron’s QRA Gp Capt Pradchaya Tippayarat, status ‘depends on the current situation, callsign ‘Golum’, was among the initial but we have it every day’. However, the cadre of Thai Gripen pilots, one of the ‘level of threat’ dictates whether the unit 13 who were trained in Sweden with maintains this level of alert status around F 7 at Såtenäs. Today he is the deputy the clock.

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The RTAF Gripens are considered to have an attrition replacement aircraft to get a reconnaissance capability thanks to the back up to its full complement of 12 jets. Rafael Litening targeting pod, and can ‘It’s just a matter of when,’ he says. ‘We perform long-range anti-ship strike with saw MS20 during exercise ‘Lion E ort’ in the RB-15F. The Thai jets are all con gured Hungary; we’re interested particularly in to the Materiel System (MS) 19 software the digital CAS.’ Thai o cials have also standard, but, according to Tippayarat, expressed signi cant interest in Meteor an upgrade to the latest MS20 is highly to supplement the current AIM-120 desired. MS20 has already been procured AMRAAMs for the beyond visual range by the other Gripen partner nations. air-to-air mission. It includes the MBDA Meteor beyond- visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM), Thai training Boeing’s GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb The Swedish Air Force trained the rst (SDB), improved radar modes, a digital three batches of Thai Gripen pilots at To date, the roughly 31 RTAF pilots close air support capability, increased Såtenäs. Wg Cdr Kritsana ‘Titan’ Sukdee is who have trained on the Gripen in nine Link 16 connectivity; civil navigation the current commander of 701 Squadron batches have all converted from the F-5 enhancements, chemical, biological, and was trained in the second batch. and the F-16. Indeed, brand new aviators radiological and nuclear (CBRN) protection ‘Batch one was for our rst four instructor come to the Swedish ghter via the F-16. for the pilot, the SPK 39 modular pilots [IPs],’ he explains. Their course took One of the newest pilots at 701 Squadron Above: reconnaissance pod II and a ground a year. ‘I was in the second batch — we is Fg O Piyachart ‘Stark’ Siribool, who Wg Cdr Kritsana collision avoidance system (GCAS). were all crossover pilots from the F-5 ew 50 hours on the F-16 before coming Sukdee, commander of Tippayarat says Wing 7 is ‘working hard’ and F-16 and we were in Sweden for to the Gripen. With a similar number of 701 Squadron. on getting MS20, as well as pushing for ve months.’ hours now under his belt in the Gripen Jamie Hunter

60 February 2019 // www.combataircraft.net he had recently become combat-ready. second appearance at this large-scale The advent of the RTAF’s new T-50THs, multi-national exercise for the Thai which are replacing the Aero L-39ZA in Gripens, which debuted in 2014. the advanced training role, may see ab Tippayarat said, ‘We deployed six aircraft initio students progressing directly to the to ‘Pitch Black 2018’. This was not only Gripen in future. about pilot training but also we use it to Explaining the embedded training role test our air force, deploying 2,000 miles at 701 Squadron, Sukdee says that the away from home’. Most missions during RTAF runs an almost identical course to the exercise were air-to-air, but the aircraft the Swedes. ‘The concept of Saab is single- also ew ’15-20 per cent’ of the time on air- pilot operations. It’s the same course to-ground. Remarkably, the participation except for some parts of the operational was planned so the ve aircraft that training where we use national standards.’ remained at Surat Thani could cover the Typically, new Gripen pilots solo after domestic mission, meaning all 11 Thai fewer than 10 sorties, spending time in the Gripens were serviceable and available. full-dome simulator, and a brand new pilot This was achieved thanks to careful will be combat-ready in less than a year. maintenance planning and scheduling, ‘They can y all mission sets, as a wingman but is testament as well to the robust and they are ready to y in a large force di cult to employ the weapons. Most nature of the Gripen and the pooling exercise,’ says Sukdee. pilots wear the Cobra HMS [helmet- arrangement for spares throughout the ‘In terms of pilot pro ciency, everyone mounted sight] except the young kids — type’s user community, which essentially can do every mission,’ adds Tippayarat. we think they must gain experience of the purchases a number of supported ight ‘The Gripen is very easy to y and it’s not fundamentals rst. Technology is good, hours per year. Tippayarat comments, but we have to use it with skill. ‘An aircraft isn’t like a car — you can’t Inset: Carrying ‘We take a couple of new pilots a year. wait until it’s broken to x it. Even if they a Litening pod, a From batch four we trained here with are in good condition you have to have JAS 39C Gripen our own instructors and initially with a maintenance plan for the aircraft. We emerges from a shelter during help from some Swedish IPs. Once we managed the numbers to be 100 per THAI FACTS ‘Pitch Black had enough competencies we took it on cent available going into ‘Pitch Black’. The 2018’ at RAAF our own from batch ve. I remember the aircraft is good but you need a good plan The Royal Thai Air Force Saab Base Darwin. Swedish IPs said we had the best training to have 11 available.’ JAS 39C/D Gripens are tted with ADF/Cpl David the PS-05 radar, TSC 2000 IFF, Cobra Gibbs areas in the world here’. That’s a reference Sukdee adds, ‘We ew 200 sorties helmet-mounted display, EWS 39/ to the landscape and beaches. in ‘Pitch Black’ with a 100 per cent Left: The BOW-21 electronic warfare and Gripens Most local ying from Surat Thani runs mission-capable rate, up from 98 per countermeasures suite, BOP/C regularly on a ‘four-turn-four’ schedule. The majority cent the rst time we went in 2014.’ countermeasures dispenser and exercise of training is conducted over the southern He adds that the F-16 typically needs M3AR-6000 secure radio. Their alongside other accompanying electronic ‘eyes’ are types in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, three times the amount of maintenance provided by two Saab 340s, which are inventory such with the ability to employ weapons on the attention required by the Gripen, equipped primarily with the Ericsson as the F-16A/B. ‘Shandy’ range. Earlier in 2018 the RTAF while acknowledging that the Thai Erieye active electronically scanned Katsuhiko Tokunaga/DACT Gripens made their rst drops of GBU-12 ‘Vipers’ are considerably older than the array (AESA) radar. laser-guided bombs there. Swedish ghters. Below: A PLAAF As well as pilots, Saab trained some 60 Su-27UBK Effective and efficient and RTAF maintainers under Peace Suvarnabhumi JAS 39D during The RTAF proudly notched up 10,000 I and II. Today, despite being located on a one of the ying hours on the Gripen during its small base some 5,000 miles from Sweden, ‘Falcon Strike’ exercises. participation in Exercise ‘Pitch Black’ in all of the Gripen maintenance is carried Chinese internet Australia last July and August. It was the out by RTAF technicians with only a couple

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of specialist ield representatives from going up against the Chinese ighters in Saab for the aircraft and GKN for the RM12 what are presumably rather handcufed engine. The RTAF’s maintenance package air-to-air engagements. ‘China is eye- ensures that spares low eiciently around opening for us,’ comments Tippayarat. ‘We the Gripen user group. When asked about feel very privileged as not many countries snags, Tippayarat was only able to recount have the chance to do air-to-air with how the Gripen’s environmental control China, and we can say that they are very system initially struggled to adjust to the disciplined — the friendship is also very hot and humid local conditions when important. If we have more friends we feel compared to the typical cold and dry more comfortable.’ Swedish environment, adding that Saab worked swiftly to address the issue. Thai principles The RTAF’s Gripens take part in a range Thailand’s Gripen procurement may of exercises, including ighter integration only have resulted in a relatively small Above: A fabulous with other wings. As well as deploying force, but it says a lot about how the shot of a Gripen around the country to work alongside ighter and Erieye itted into the air arm’s over the Gulf the remaining F-5E/Fs with Wing 21 at vision for the future. Tippayarat says that of Thailand, equipped with Ubon Ratchathani and F-16A/Bs with vision was to be the best air force in the two AIM-120s. Wing 1 at Korat and Wing 4 at Takhli, ASEAN (Association of South-east Asian Katsuhiko ‘Cope Tiger’ is a signiicant event that Nations) region. Key was becoming ‘a Tokunaga/DACT draws participants including the US Air digital air force,’ he explains — it was Right top to Force and the Republic of Singapore Air network-centric by 2015. ‘The fast way to bottom: Although Force. ‘Thai Boomerang’ sees the Royal do that was to join the Gripen program. Gripen pilots wear the Cobra Australian Air Force working closely with The Gripen integrated air defense system HMS, they also the Thais. Perhaps most signiicant is has six elements: the shooters, which are use the standard ‘Falcon Strike’, a joint Thai-Chinese exercise the Gripens, the command and control Swedish helmet, as here. Katsuhiko which has been held at Korat and Udon with the Saab 340 AEW, our ground- Tokunaga/DACT Thani, and involved the Gripens and other based radar sensors, the network, the RTAF ighters exercising with People’s organization and the support.’ Hanging on its thin delta wings, a Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) J-10s The Gripen network revolves around JAS 39C punches and J-11s. It has enabled the RTAF to Link T, which connects it with the ground out decoy ﬂares gain a unique insight into the equipment stations with the Erieye. Thailand also has on a mission from Surat and capabilities of the PLAAF, no doubt Link 16 on its F-16s, and although the Thani. Katsuhiko gathering important mission data when two don’t interact, the RTAF sees the dual Tokunaga/DACT

62 February 2019 // www.combataircraft.net Above: Fg Off will bring the remaining F-5s into the For the Royal Thai Air Force, the Piyachart Swedish network, although it pours cold concept is simple: ‘to defend the ‘Stark’ Siribool ﬂew 50 hours water on chances for more signiicant country’, Sukdee smiles, proudly wearing in the F-16 prior Gripen sales here in the immediate term. his ‘Shark 01’ squadron commander’s to converting Dean Rosenield, the head of Saab patch and adorned with Gripen badges. to the Gripen. Jamie Hunter Asia-Paciic, says there is strong potential He acknowledges that oicials from the for new business in the air sector in the Philippines have visited his squadron, Below: The region, adding that he is actively looking no doubt leaving impressed by the second Saab 340 Erieye for more government-to-government output achieved from a relatively small was delivered ‘mega-deals’ with the Gripen. The Thai footprint. ‘We are one member in a chess to Thailand model should be viewed closely by game,’ he says. It’s a game that is cleverly in mid-2012. Wing 7 typically nations wishing to maintain a capable orchestrated to produce impressive conducts a yet afordable defense package. In operational output without paying a night training October, the government-owned king’s ransom. period once a month. Philippine News Agency quoted defense Katsuhiko secretary Delin Lorenzana as saying that Acknowledgments: The author thanks Gp Capt Tokunaga/DACT the Gripen was being viewed as the best Pradchaya Tippayarat, Wg Cdr Kritsana Sukdee and all at Wing 7, Royal Thai Air Force. option in terms of price and capability.

approach as a strong point. ‘Our national system is Link T,’ explains Tippayarat. ‘We have to be able to stand on our own two feet. We must have our own national link that we can use every time. Gripen doesn’t have Link 16, but there is no problem working with a coalition force. Link T is very easy to use and we can see everything that’s happening around us.’ Having two options is favored ‘for national security reasons,’ he went on, noting that Link T can be ‘adapted’ to work with the F-16s. Interestingly, the upgrade being carried out by Thai Aviation Industries (TAI) and Elbit Systems on 14 F-5ST Super Tigers is adding Link T, as well as the Litening III targeting pod, a new cockpit and the Elta Systems EL/M-2032 radar. Elbit’s involvement was contracted through an $85-million deal for the irst 10 jets, while a $93-million follow-on contract takes all 14 jets to full Super Tiger standard. This