Royal Thai Air Force to Acquire Four Gripen Fighters with GE Aerospace F414 Engines

The Royal Thai Air Force has announced a plan to purchase four Saab next-generation Gripen E/F fighter aircraft powered by GE Aerospace’s F414-GE-39E engines as part of a government-to-government agreement between Thailand and Sweden.

“The F414-GE-39E delivers the power, reliability, and adaptability needed for next-generation combat capability, and we’re honored to support Thailand as it expands its Gripen fleet,” said Shawn Warren, vice president and general manager, Combat and Trainer Engines at GE Aerospace.

Warren added, “This agreement continues a longstanding collaboration between GE Aerospace, Saab, and international air forces around the world.”

The contract builds on Thailand’s existing fleet of Gripen C/D aircraft, powered by GE Aerospace’s RM12 engine, a derivative of the F404, that were acquired in 2008.

Thailand is the third country to acquire the Saab Gripen E/F powered by the F414-GE-39E engine, along with Brazil and Sweden. This purchase also makes Thailand the first nation in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region to do so.

GE’s F414 engine family has delivered more than 1,600 F414 engines and logged over 5 million flight hours.