Saab eyes Thailand as regional defence production hub after Gripen deal

Swedish defence company Saab plans to expand investment in Thailand following the Royal Thai Air Force's decision to procure Gripen E/F fighter jets, with ambitions to develop the country into a regional defence technology and production hub. Fredrik Lindblom, vice president and country manager of Saab Thailand, said the company was seeking Thai industrial partners to jointly manufacture certain Gripen aircraft components locally under Thailand's offset policy framework. Thailand recently approved the first phase of a procurement project for four Saab JAS 39 Gripen E/F fighter jets valued at around 19.5 billion baht. Lindblom said Saab's plans extended beyond aircraft delivery and focused on long-term industrial cooperation, including local production of selected parts, electronics and defence technologies. However, he said the company currently had no plans to establish a full aircraft assembly line in Thailand. Instead, Saab intends to cooperate with capable Thai manufacturers through OEM partnerships while exploring opportunities to strengthen Thailand's aviation and defence industries. The company also plans to establish a research and development centre in Thailand as part of the new Gripen offset programme to support technology transfer and workforce development. Lindblom said personnel development would be a key part of the cooperation, including technical training for military personnel and support for educational institutions to help prepare a future high-tech workforce. Saab also highlighted plans to support network-centric warfare systems by integrating real-time data sharing between military branches. The company pointed to Thailand's domestically developed Link TH tactical data link system as a strong foundation for future integrated defence operations. Beyond fighter aircraft, Saab said it was also interested in expanding into radar systems, command-and-control technologies and counter-drone defence systems in Thailand, citing the growing importance of unmanned aerial threats in modern warfare. The company said Thailand had the potential to become a regional centre for security and defence technology in the Asia-Pacific region. Saab has operated in Thailand for more than 40 years and currently serves customers in more than 100 countries worldwide.