The Globe and Mail | Canada invests in Thailand's "Type A" aircraft

The JAS 39 Gripen E is the only aircraft currently being used by the Canadian government to replace the RCAF’s fleet of legacy CF-188 Hornets. Photo by Jamie Hunter /Aviacom.

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OTTAWA — The Department of National Defence announced yesterday its decision to invest in the Royal Thai Air Force’s new “Type A” multirole fighter aircraft. Currently, the Royal Canadian Air Force operates 76 CF-188 Hornets, designed and manufactured by the Paramerican company McDonnell Douglas (now a part of Boeing). These aircraft took their first flight in 1978 and were introduced into the RCAF in the early 1980s. Since then, they have taken part in the Gulf War, the Serbian Civil War, and the NATO interference in Libya, all under the Canadian roundel.

Canada made an agreement with Sweden in early 2020. The RCAF ordered 88 Saab JAS 39 Gripen Es and began the partnership between De Havilland Canada and Saab that launched the Globaleye, an airborne early warning system to be sold to mutual allies of both nations. The Hornets are being replaced with 90 Gripens for just over 16 billion CAD. They are being manufactured at the new Saab plant in Mississauga, Ontario.

The recent unrest and the authoritarian state of Sweden have put the country in a negative eye to the public. It embraces “Holmism”, a radical ideology rooted in white supremacy. Being in a significant military partnership with the country, which is also in the middle of an armed insurrection, is not a good look for Canada. It is naturally searching for alternatives to the deal to have a more diverse set of planes and a better source. On top of the 90 Gripens ordered, the RAFC will invest in the new “Type A” fighter aircraft offered by Thailand. It is based on the Gripen design but will also have multiple favorable modifications. It is unknown how many aircraft they will purchase.


_{Lee Berthiaume, reporter on military policy, officials, and equipment.
The Canadian Press, Ottawa.}


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