The proposals to develop further missions for the Gripen are part of updated military advice provided to Stockholm by commander-in-chief General Micael Bydén.
The Royal Thai Air Force had previously announced that a squadron of Lockheed Martin F-16A/Bs based in Korat would be decommissioned between 2028 and 2031.
The investment will support maintenance of the General Electric F414 engines that equip Sweden’s new Gripen E fighters and older F404 engines on its Gripen C/D.
The contractual agreement enables Canada to order the first four F-35As for delivery in 2026 in the Lot 18 production standard, with 84 more delivered by 2034.
As development starts winding down, Saab’s Gripen E unit is focusing on improving the global fleet of C/D models and starting to consider what comes next.