Politics & Governance
Thai queen flies Gripen fighter jet solo for first time
Thailand's Queen Suthida flew a Gripen fighter jet solo for the first time, the royal household revealed Friday.
The 48-year-old queen took off on October 8 in a single-seat JAS 39C from a military air base in southern Surat Thani province, according to footage released by the royal household. King Maha Vajiralongkorn watched the flight.
After the landing, the king handed Queen Suthida a bouquet and pinned a Golden Gripen Order patch on her left arm.
Queen Suthida, a former Thai Airways flight attendant, married the king in 2019, days before his coronation.
Thailand already operates Gripen C/D fighters made by Sweden's Saab. Last year it signed a deal for three Gripen E jets and one Gripen F worth about $556 million, with deliveries due by 2030.
Uncertainty notes
Details attributed only to unspecified media reports, including simulator training, time in a two-seat Gripen and the claim that the flight made her Thailand's first female Gripen pilot, have not been included as confirmed facts.
Source
AFP news report published on .