Sweden has until August 20 to potentially sweeten Saab's offer on the Gripen fighter jet to Thailand, reports Ekot. The same applies to competitor Lockheed Martin and the USA's F-16 planes.
The radio refers to the newspaper The Bangkok Post, which writes that Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang on Tuesday provided an update on the status of the process of buying new planes for the air force. They are to replace older model Gripen or F-16 planes that the country already has.
Thailand hopes that both competitors and their home countries will be able to sweeten their bids in terms of counter-purchases.
I have learned that both the USA and Sweden are preparing new bids, which means that Thailand gets an opportunity to choose the most favorable one, said the Defense Minister.
In July, Jane's, where journalists and analysts with expertise in the defense industry work, reported that the Thai air force recommends the Gripen, but the final decision lies with the government.
