Thailand selects Gripen

[tflash]

A good choice if you ask me, I always like value for money!

 

http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/airforce/Thailand_selects_Gripen_and_Erieye100013828.php

 

Keeping an Erieye on things is not a bad idea. What a bummer that Belgium is to small for such goodies.

[Mugatu]

Yeah new super power in the region if they equip them with Meteors :)

 

Nothing (except maybe the F-22s data link comes close to what the Swedes have)

[leafer]

Is air superiority in this region necessary for us? Let's face it, China and N. Korea will completely run over us on the first day of war then do a 180 for another royal stomping if we dare go to war with one of them. The sad fact is we will never be super power anything. Ever. Period.

 

The last time we had a little land dispute with our neighbor, Laos, our "fighter" pilots dropped bombs on our own troops and we ended up getting our ass kicked by the Laotians. Laughter can be heard by the Laotians from across the river. Utterly pathetic.

[tflash]

I agree you hopefully do not need air superiority in the military sense. The most important part seems to me not the fighter capability, but the Erieye: it is always good to have information about your airspace and its surroundings.

 

Good information offers the invaluable day to day security everyone needs. It can also help to track illegal flights or other unwanted activities.

[Pilotasso]

Is air superiority in this region necessary for us? Let's face it, China and N. Korea will completely run over us on the first day of war then do a 180 for another royal stomping if we dare go to war with one of them. The sad fact is we will never be super power anything. Ever. Period.

 

The last time we had a little land dispute with our neighbor, Laos, our "fighter" pilots dropped bombs on our own troops and we ended up getting our ass kicked by the Laotians. Laughter can be heard by the Laotians from across the river. Utterly pathetic.

 

You dont have to go for war with them. Sometimes a deterrent is needed rather than going for war at all. Gripen is a small fighter indeed, but its one designed to outsmart the opposition. Sometimes pure casualty number crushing is not the correct equation but rather how much one would bother to suffer untill reach a given objective and then decide if its worth the trouble.

 

In addition to this there are other duties for an airforce than fighting.

[Bimbac]

You are absolutely right :thumbup:

 

Besides, if any fighter from surrounding countries dares to engage a Gripen, would probably lose. Situational awareness of the Gripen pilots is much superior, especially if complemented by Erieye AWACS.

 

Gripen is quite hard to spot, both by radar or visually. If using datalink and EWS, you wouldn't know about it, until that AMRAAM would go active (which is already too late).

 

Regards

[VMFA117_Poko]

You dont have to go for war with them. Sometimes a deterrent is needed rather than going for war at all. Gripen is a small fighter indeed, but its one designed to outsmart the opposition. Sometimes pure casualty number crushing is not the correct equation but rather how much one would bother to suffer untill reach a given objective and then decide if its worth the trouble.

 

In addition to this there are other duties for an airforce than fighting.

Yes. All this is true. Plus they get up-to-date technology. Offset is very important issue in this case too.

[leafer]

I understand what you're saying. I wouldn't be upset if this isn't a get-rich-quick ploy by people in power. Nothing more. It's nothing new in this sorry land of the almost free.