Gripens For Lima

BANGKOK: Gripens for LIMA19. One or two JAS 39 Gripen from the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) are expected to take part in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA 19) 2019 scheduled for March, next year.

The actual number of Gripens to take part in the show will depends on the parking spot available at the show, says 701 Sqdn CO Wing Commander Kritsana Sukdee.

Unlike two years ago, the Gripen will only be there as part of the static display. The squadron is based at the Wing 7 RTAF airbase at Surat Thani, southern Thailand.

RTAF Saab Gripen taking off for its display at LIMA 17

It must be noted that the RTAF’s participation is on the invitation of the Malaysian Defence Ministry and the RMAF. This will be the third participation of the Thais at Langkawi. They took part in LIMA in 2011 and 2017.

This year’s participation will not be part of a marketing push for the Gripen as the MRCA programme has been KIVed pending approval from the government.

RTAF Gripen being prepared on the opening day of Lima 2011

Even Russia which is now offering the MIG-35 for the MRCA programme – even though its previous offer of the Su-35 has been rejected – has been told that LIMA 2019 was not the place to market their wares.
Wing 7 aircraft, Saab 340 Erieye and Saab JAS 39 Gripen with a full weapons load.

It is expected other Asean air forces will fill up the static or aerial display slots with the absence of any MRCA contenders.

However it is likely that the show organisers will accept the participation of any aircraft to fill up the static and aerial display slots.

– Malaysian Defence

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23 Comments

  1. Marhalim, for LIMA next year can you please interview thai gripen drivers on their experience pitting the gripen against the T-50TH

  2. The only shiny thing we buy that will be displayed at LIMA next year would be the PUTD Little Birds…

  3. I hope in lima we can get new powerpack for pendekar as well as upgrading our skyshield to include 3d radar and integration with starstreak

  4. Aircraft appearance wishlist

    1. Pak AF JF-17
    2. Pak AF K-8 sherdils
    3. RAAF F-35A
    4. RAAF PC-21 roulettes
    5. IAF Tejas
    6. Bangladesh AF Yak-130
    7. Bangladesh AF C-130J
    8. Japan navy Kawasaki P-1
    9. Shenyang J-31

  5. @ alex

    Tell me again why we need a new powerpack for the Pendekars? As is the current powerpack is rated at 1000hp and already has the Renk ESM350 gearbox that in DSA2016 somebody tried to sell to ATM (a little bit different combo of Scania engine + Renk ESM350 gearbox). All the advantages said of the new powerpack is mostly there in the PT-91M, the comparison was actually with the old transmission of T-72/PT-91 non Pendekars.

    BTW we never had any Skyshields. Unless you are actually an Indonesian citizen.

  6. @ safran

    What Mahathir has to do with Apai looking at the JF-17? It is just an airshow. Of course you go to visit booths. If everyone that visits the JF-17 booth is “interested” in the fighter, that would mean a whole bunch of 3rd world countries are going to buy JF-17. Is that so?

  7. The only way i can think of that Malaysia will ever be interested on jf17 if it has non Russian engine and non Chinese avionics.. Which would increase the price substantially thus defeat the whole purpose

  8. Bro Chua,
    The Slovaks probably went for the F16Vs to get better deals with Uncle Sam in other areas.
    Sdr Safran, the Block 3 JF17 specs admittedly aren’t bad. Let’s see what Imran Khan can do for us if we do buy that bird

  9. @ taib

    JF-17 specs is getting better and better.

    Now the KLJ-7A AESA is already planned for the JF-17
    https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aXVlIEUmIrA/W-CG8mVNzgI/AAAAAAAATxA/GuIlhjaEuc8DhAV0PrGRVQJqLVDIX35LwCLcBGAs/s1600/jf17-aesa-lkf601e.jpg

    It also has a 2 seater version flown
    https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ucMVO5uQID8/WxyOqB6aanI/AAAAAAAAVyo/r9jYM1egYA8WAUkqT0p2VP98-mOCDWG6ACLcBGAs/s1600/DfS7enkV4AAX2kt.jpg

    But by getting the JF-17 will mean we need another type to serve as LIFT, which for PAF it is looking at the L-15 for that. We are aiming to have 1 type to serve both as LIFT and LCA.

  10. Well, if we do go in the direction of JF17, I hope it will be the Block 3. With AESA. The RMAF may be miffed but at least it’s a ready flying plane with over 100 planes in PAF service. I read somewhere China has 150+ RD93 engines stored for new PAF JF17 orders. So we probably don’t have to deal directly with Mother Russia.
    As for LIFT, am not too worked up. Can we get 5-6 pre-owned Hawks instead?

  11. IMHO JF-17 shouldn’t be our target.

    Might as well get new Block 70 Vipers and lease few Block 50 F-16.

    At this point in time anything Chinese or Russian warrants a backlash from Trump.

    Marhalim and Triple Dot, what’s the update from IAF? Will they buy or not our useless Fulcrums?

    Might as well chuck in the entire Flankers too and in return we get like 60 Tejas LCA lol!

    Reply
    I spoke to a well connected Indian journalist last week, he said there’s never a plan for the IAF to get our Fulcrum

  12. @ melayu ketinggalan

    Recently the IAF has been on a buying spree of used fighters, from Jaguars to Mirage 2000s. Probably we could start the ball rolling by officially offering them to IAF, in exchange of spares or overhaul of the MKM.

  13. Relying on HAL
    Hahahahaha

    Off topic
    Thais considering upgrading Gripen to carry Meteor, guidance pod and precision guided munitions

    Been trying to post the link for days but captcha gone gila again

  14. Out of topic.. With recent USA punitive action against Russia, imo all our Russian assets are screwed or at best can only be operating minimally even if we have the money to operate and maintain. The best case if we can get other non sanction countries such as India, Belarus, Poland or Ukraine to resuscitate these assets for us but prospect deemed very low indeed.
    I personally love the MIGS And SU30, though more for their deterrent value rather than their choppy capabilities and performance but don’t think it’s worth keeping them at the expense of ticking off our 3rd largest trading partner with around 15% of trade and 2nd largest investor.

    So what could be our alternative if we have to write offs these assets? The obvious elephant in the room is to buy European based military assets.. However based on our existing conundrum, exorbitive price and trade dispute on palm oil export also create major headaches for MOF.

    It could worth pondering to expand the military purchase from China, which the price range is slightly higher or equal to those offered by Russia. We already bought the LMS and previously small number of shoulder mounted Sam. Quality wise maybe not as good as Americans or European assets but I would think it should be sufficient for us in lieu of lack of direct threat.

    But there is the question of spratly and James shoal claims. But so far China has been accommodative to other claimants for now.. We are never going to war with our largest trading partner and the largest economy in the world by 2050 wouldnt we? But yes we do need ships and jets to patrol the area (armed to the teeth) but we will never start a war as stressed by the PH government.

    One thing I like about the current government is that they would not back down in claiming their rights even in the face of a stronger neighbour But these must be back up with assets to protect what is being claimed with no intention for war.

    On this note I foresee a bigger threat from our immediate neighbours when it comes to border dispute And the speed they are upgrading their assets will leave us at the mercy of a negotiating table only

    So maybe however unlikely we could see the latest J10 C, type 56 missile frigate and KS1A Sam in our inventory, which will cost less than what we would get from Western suppliers?

  15. @ triple dot

    Recently the IAF has been on a buying spree of used fighters, from Jaguars to Mirage 2000s. Probably we could start the ball rolling by officially offering them to IAF, in exchange of spares or overhaul of the MKM.

    ***************************************************************************

    Is HAL trustworthy? Their Tejas is 10 years overdue already lol!

    I reckon it’s better we MOU with Algeria since their SU-30MKA specs is more similar to MKM since MKI has I****** avionics etc.

    But yes, time to kick out the Fulcrums for good.

    @Kamal –

    China? Are you serious? They’re rolling over the SEA as though it’s their maritime sovereignty and their Coast Guads ships in our waters (very kurang ajar) as we sit here and do nothing about it.

    It’s bad enough we are getting 4 LMS from them, now you want us to buy their military hardware?

    No thanks, IMHO. Rather go elsewhere but China.

    I mean the food and girls are great but not regarding SEA dispute.

    You don’t see India claiming the Indian Ocean as theirs, is it?

  16. @ Dhuan Abha

    TUDM should have no business in attack helicopters. Leave that to TDM and let them be familiar with their little birds first (that doesn’t sound right, but that is the name of the helicopters!)

    @ melayu ketinggalan

    MOU with algeria for what actually? They are also just a user of the SU-30, not a parts manufacturer and assembler like HAL.

    We have to be on friendly terms with China, as they (whether we like it or not) is the new superpower in our neighborhood, its not like they have shoot down our airliner or such. They have great military hardwares, and buying something from them will show us as on a friendly terms with them. We can probably learn a thing or two with how Indonesia approaches China, courting them economically and militarily but being firm on issues with Natuna and Chinese illegal fishings.

  17. Well, Indonesia is ‘leery’ of Chinese intentions. More than Malaysia. They are in fact looking for leads from Msia with respect as how to engage the Chinese. The Indonesian population is highly suspicious of anything ‘Communist’ and China is that, Communist. We have a higher chance of getting better deals from China economically than Indonesia as a whole.

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