By Zachary Keck
Thailand will have one of the most powerful air forces in Southeast Asia by the end of the decade, a Thai military official told reporters in Bangkok on Wednesday.
According to Thai News Agency, Thai Supreme Commander General Thanasak Patimapragorn said that the Thai Air Force’s procurement of Gripen Fighters will make it a leading force in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by 2019.
The general added that the Air Force would seek to integrate the Gripen’s information systems with the Thai Navy and Army. He also emphasized that the fighters would only be used for defensive purposes, including for use in a future ASEAN peacekeeping force.
General Patimapragon’s comments came as Thailand took control over the last three Gripen Fighters it had ordered as part of a broader deal with the Swedish company Saab.
Read the full story at The Diplomat