SINGAPORE—The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has deployed two Saab JAS 39C/D Gripens alongside a pair of Lockheed Martin F-16A/Bs to conduct precision air strikes against Cambodian military targets, as armed clashes along the border enter a third day.
According to news outlet The National Thailand, the aircraft executed at least two strike missions on July 26—targeting artillery positions in Phu Ma Kua and a second site near the contested Ta Muen Thom temple, where ground skirmishes between Thai and Cambodian forces have intensified.
The operation marks the first known instance of RTAF Gripens being deployed in combat.
Imagery circulating on social media indicates the use of Mk. 82-class general-purpose bombs, including a possible employment of the South Korean-developed GPS-Guided Bomb glide kit.
Fleet data from Aviation Week Network’s Fleet Discovery Military database shows the RTAF operates 11 JAS 39C/D aircraft, based at Surat Thani AB in southern Thailand.
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