태국이 원했던 닭고기와 전투기 교환이 이루어질것 같은 분위기 입니다. 얼마전 러시아가 SU-30을 저렴한 가격에 MI-17까지 사은품으로 공급한다는 얘기가 나왔었고, 협상이 시작된것 같은 뉴스도 있었는데... 이제 스웨덴도 경쟁에 뛰어들었네요. 스웨덴 전투기 구매하면 소스코드를 제공하고 레이더 기술까지 제공한다고 덤비네요. 스웨덴 조기경보기인 ERIEYE 얘기까지 나왔는데 레이더 기술이 ERIEYE 기술인지... 아니면 전투기 레이더 기술인지는 모르겠습니다. 그동안 스웨덴은 상당히 조심스러운 분위기 였는데 본격적인 경쟁이 시작된것 같습니다. 그리펜 12대 구매에 모든 소스코드와 레이더 기술 공급... 역시 무기는 공개입찰 해야 합니다. " http://nationmultimedia.com/2006/01/12/headlines/index.php?news=headlines_19636512.html " Sweden in further bid to entice deal on jets Published on January 12, 2006 With a decision on the procurement of new jetfighters for the Royal Thai Air Force reportedly having come down to either Russian or US aircraft, Sweden, the other prospective vendor, was pressing the case for its aircraft yesterday. Lars Danielsson, deputy minister of the Swedish Prime Minister’s Office, in Bangkok yesterday, said that Sweden would also throw in a hi-tech radar system for the 12 Gripen JAS 39 jetfighters as well as complete technology transfer – including source codes for the planes – that would allow Thailand to customise its air defence technology to suit its needs. All three countries have agreed to the barter notion in concept as presented by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2004 in an effort to spare the trade balance. “It would be 100-per-cent barter and we are open to that” said Danielsson, who was in Bangkok yesterday to discuss the ongoing reform efforts of the United Nations with government officials, as well as bilateral cooperation. “And we want to transfer technology so that the customer has a feeling of ownership of the technology.” “We hope the [decision-making] process will be open and transparent.” Thailand wants to barter chickens, shrimp and agricultural products for the planes. Danielsson’s visit came as the verdict over which country’s jetfighters the government will opt for has seemingly hit a standstill. The Air Force last year established a committee to decide which planes to purchase and it has reportedly already made its decision. However, sources told The Nation that while ACM Chalit Pukpasuk, the Air Force chief, is keen on American F-16s or F/A-18s, Thaksin favours Russian SU-30s. The Air Force currently flies F-16s among other planes and its pilots are obviously familiar with them. But in 2004 it sent two pilots to Sweden to train on and fly the Gripens, which are made by in cooperation between Sweden’s Saab and British Aerospace. Defence Minister Thamarak Isarangura said last month that procurement would be conducted in three stages over nine years, according to Jane’s Defence Weekly, an international magazine covering the arms industry. The first stage of the improvement would focus on repairing and replenishing defence equipment, including major weapons platforms, as well as improving civilian rescue operations and economic development, he said. The RTAF needs transport aircraft, air-defence systems and airborne early-warning and command aircraft in addition to fighters, Jane’s reported. While the US and Sweden might insist on transparency in the deal, the same would likely not be true for the Russians. The Russian planes are reportedly the costliest to operate due to the fact that they have two engines versus one as in both the F-16s and the Gripens. Russia last month upped the ante by offering to throw in MI-17 helicopters and the US offered to maintain the Royal Thai Air Force’s current fleet of ageing F-16 jetfighters. Efforts to get comments from the US Embassy were fruitless yesterday. Kaj Rosander, vice president of marketing for Gripen International, who is in Thailand on a separate matter, told The Nation that Sweden has offered to include the ERIEYE airborne early-warning and control system, which is made by Swedish electronics giant Ericsson. The radar system would be mounted on the planes, linking them together through a ground-based control centre. “It’s no longer an issue of who can fly the fastest, the highest and the longest,” Rosander said. “Today information-sharing is an important part of an air defence system, and [in that regard] our system is superior.” Sweden would transfer source codes, software and documentation for the Gripen planes as well as key engineering capabilities to allow joint integration of future systems like new sensors and weapons systems. It would also support the establishment of full maintenance and support systems in partnership with the Thai aerospace industry. Danielsson said Sweden envisions a long-term commitment should Thailand decide on the Gripens. “If you modernise you expect it to last 30 to 40 years,” the deputy prime minister said. “These systems are developed in such a way that there’s a constant process of change. It would be upgraded for years to come.” Saab is ready and able to deal using a barter system and would expect to be paid in products over a period of 10 years, Rosander said. “Saab is part of a large international network,” he said. “We have access to world markets through this network. What kind of products we would barter for would be up for discussion.” The European Union currently has a ban on raw Thai chicken exports due to the bird flu, but Danielsson said that would not be a problem. If chickens were included in a potential barter trade arrangement, they would never enter the EU, rather a Swedish firm would act as a middleman and sell the poultry to a third country. J Nils Wright The Nation