Key Points and Summary – The JAS 39 Gripen is considered one of the best non-stealth fighters on Earth. Sadly, it loses a significant number of fighter sales to the F-35, one of its chief rivals.
-However, the JAS 39 Gripen might have a new problem to contend with beyond competing with U.S. stealth fighters for new contracts.
JAS 39 Gripen. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-Recent border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia marked the first-ever combat use of the Swedish-made Saab Gripen fighter jet, with Thai Gripens conducting air strikes on Cambodian targets on July 26.
-This combat debut creates a complex dilemma for Sweden, as it occurred just as Thailand was finalizing a deal to purchase new, advanced Gripen E/F models.
-The use of the jets in the conflict has prompted the Swedish government to “closely monitor” the situation, placing the future of the major arms sale in jeopardy and creating an ironic scenario where the fighter’s success could derail its sale.
The JAS 39 Gripen Fighter Enters Combat
Clashes between Thailand and Cambodia along their shared border have halted to a shaky truce that seems to be holding.
The outcome of that brief clash is murky, with both sides claiming to have occupied sites along the border.
Nathan Ruser, a geospatial data analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, broke down the events leading up to hostilities.
And while the results of that brief conflict are still being parsed, they marked a significant first: the first combat experience for the JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet, built by Saab, the Swedish aerospace firm.
JAS 39 Gripen Fighter from Back in 2017. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The events concerning the Gripen deployment are unclear. However, Aviation Week reports that a pair of Saab JAS 39C/D Gripens conducted precision air strikes against Cambodian targets along their shared border alongside a pair of F-16A/Bs.
Citing The National Thailand, a Thai publication, Aviation Week said that the jets “executed at least two strike missions on July 26—targeting artillery positions in Phu Ma Kua and a second site near the contested Ta Muen Thom temple, where ground skirmishes between Thai and Cambodian forces have intensified.”
Aviation Week added that online imagery seemed to indicate Mk. 82-class general-purpose bombs were used, and potentially with the use of a “South Korean-developed GPS-Guided Bomb glide kit.”
Thailand and the JAS 39 Gripen: A Short History
In June of this year, a Saab announcement explained that Thailand had chosen the Gripen E/F fighter for the Thai Royal Air Force. “In addition to Gripen E/F fighter aircraft and associated equipment, Saab’s offer also includes a long-term offset package. This will benefit the national security and strategic independence of Thailand, while also bringing new jobs and investments to a range of Thai society sectors. The details are yet to be determined.” However, the Swedish firm also clarified that “at this point Saab has not signed a contract nor received an order relating to this announcement.”
Thailand has operated Saab’s Gripen C/D variant since 2011, although the new order would cover 12 new-built E/F Gripens, acquired over a 10-year timeframe to replace its older fighters, which are mostly American. The Royal Thai Air Force is one of the region’s better-equipped and operates a mix of Gripen C/Ds, as well as American F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-5s.
Although Thailand had sought to acquire access to the American-led F-35 stealth fighter program in 2023, Washington rebuffed that bid, citing technical requirements and concerns with training. Thailand became a Major Non-NATO Ally by the United States in 2003, of which there are currently 19, plus Taiwan, which is treated as an MNNA, but lacks the designation as such.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force clarified to Reuters that the potential F-35 sale was “subject to conditions that included time constraints, technical requirements and maintenance compatibility,” and for that reason, “the United States was therefore unable to offer the sale,” which ultimately forced Bangkok to look further afield for new fighters.
New Gripen Fighter Deal in Trouble?
Sweden’s parliament, the Riksdagen, granted permission for the Swedish government to enter into an agreement for the new jets with Thai authorities, although the agreement has not yet been finalized. Maria Malmer Stenergard, the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, must ultimately sign off on the deal, although several Swedish government agencies, primarily the Inspectorate of Strategic Products and the Department for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, must approve it.
Minister Stenergard demurred when asked if Stockholm would proceed with the Thai Gripen sale, saying only that her government “is closely monitoring developments in the border conflict.”
The acting spokesperson for Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson told Breaking Defense that the potential sale is still something that the Foreign Minister must consider.
“It is of the utmost importance that international law, including international humanitarian law, is respected and that all parties work toward de-escalation, dialogue, and a peaceful resolution of the conflict,” the spokesperson said to Breaking Defense, following confirmation from Thailand that the Swedish fighter jet had been used in combat against Cambodia.
Thailand also operates Saab’s Erieye airborne surveillance system, which Saab says affords “Thai command authorities full situational awareness across the entire nation,” and adds that “this netcentric warfare capability is one of very few complete systems actually operational anywhere in the world.”
JAS 39 Gripen: A ‘Mixed Success’ in Recent Combat for Thailand…
The events surrounding this most recent Thai-Cambodian border clash are opaque. However, it seems that no Thai Gripen were lost, which would bode well for future Gripen sales abroad for Saab. However, it may jeopardize future sales to one of the countries most interested in buying more Gripens: Thailand. It remains to be seen what Minister Stenergard and the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs ultimately decide.
About the Author: Caleb Larson
Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.
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Michael Bennett
August 3, 2025 at 8:10 pm
Well, goody 2 shoes Sweden will NOT sell its Gripen jets to a nation that is the agressor? Not a problem, as Russia, France, USA, Red China will gladly sell Thailand ANYTHING they want to buy, and will have NO sellers’ remorse! Go to hell, Sweden, as they put an arms embargo on Croatia in 1991, as the country was fighting for its very survival..! Saab jet division should go broke, just like the Saab automobile in 2007..!
Michael Bennett
August 4, 2025 at 12:05 am
This attack on the Swedish Saab Gripen could also be a Cambodian-Russian propaganda ploy..! …? If NOT, then the Russians, Red Chinese, French, USA will be more than happy to sell to Thailand and anyone else for $$$$…& NO seller’s remorse!