Queen Suthida of Thailand flew a Saab JAS 39C Gripen solo for the first time on October 8, 2026, at the Royal Thai Air Force’s (RTAF) Wing 7 in Surat Thani province, according to an account released by the Bureau of the Royal Household.
The flight took place at the base in Phun Phin district at 10:06 local time and was observed by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Air Chief Marshal Seksan Kantha, commander of the RTAF, and the Wing 7 commander.
After a briefing on the flight plan, the Queen carried out a pre-flight inspection of the single-seat fighter and taxied to Runway 22 for takeoff.
The solo sortie lasted 41 minutes. After she landed, the King presented her with a bouquet and attached a Golden Gripen Order Patch to her left sleeve. According to the palace account, the Gripen Order, an honorary association in Sweden, presented the patch and accepted the Queen as a full member.
The account also identifies her as Thailand’s first female Gripen pilot.
From simulator training to a solo fighter flight
The flight marked the culmination of a conversion course for Fighter-Attack Aircraft Type 20, the RTAF designation for the Gripen, which the Queen undertook at the air force’s invitation.
According to the palace, the course followed the RTAF’s standard Gripen pilot training syllabus. It began with 45 academic and emergency-procedure subjects between June and July 2026, followed by 20 simulator sorties.
The Queen then progressed to flying the two-seat JAS 39D Gripen with an instructor, accumulating approximately 10 hours before transitioning to the single-seat JAS 39C.
Queen Suthida has logged more than 1,188 flying hours
The Queen first flew on May 13, 2010, in a Cessna T-41D of Squadron 604 at Wing 6 in Bangkok. She subsequently gained experience on the CT-4E Airtrainer, Pilatus PC-9, Mooney M20M, and Piper PA-34 Seneca.
She also serves as co-pilot alongside King Maha Vajiralongkorn on royal flights aboard Boeing 737-400 and 737-800 aircraft, having accumulated more than 450 hours on the latter.
Her total flying experience across all aircraft types now exceeds 1,188 hours, according to the palace account.
Thailand prepares to expand its Gripen fleet
Wing 7 is home to the RTAF’s Gripen C/D squadron, which entered service in 2011 and marked its 15th anniversary at the base on July 20, 2026.
Thailand received 12 Gripen C/D fighters and currently operates 11, after losing a JAS 39C in a January 2017 crash.
The Thai Air Force is preparing to expand its fleet with the latest generation of the Swedish fighter.
Thailand ordered four Gripen E/F fighters in August 2025. In May 2026, an RTAF delegation led by Air Chief Marshal Seksan reviewed the start of assembly of the first Thai Gripen E at Saab’s facility in Linköping, Sweden. Saab has said deliveries under the contract will take place by 2030.