
BANGKOK, June 4 (Reuters) - Thailand plans to acquire four Gripen 39 fighter jets built by Sweden's SAAB in a first procurement phase as part of a plan to replace its ageing fleet of mainly U.S. jets, its air force said on Wednesday.
Thailand currently has 11 JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets and dozens of American F-16 and F-5 jets, some of which have been in operation since the late 1980s. The budget for the first phase is 19.5 billion baht ($595.97 million) and a contract would be signed in August, the air force said in a statement.