Air Force awaits answers on fatal Gripen crash

Authorities are waiting for answers from the maker of the jet fighter, the aerospace company Saab, which has received the aircraft’s crash survivable memory unit (CSMU), more commonly referred to as the “black box” that records flight data in the event of a crash.
Saab received the CSMU days after the crash that killed Squadron Leader Dilokrit Pattawee on Children’s Day. 
The investigation is expected to take about two months based on the analysis of the pre-crash condition of the aircraft, flying conditions at the time of the accident, and relevant issues regarding the pilot and management. 
The plane that crashed – one of Thailand’s 12 JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets composing Wing 7 in Surat Thani province – was not among three jets struck by lightning during their 2013 transport to Thailand.
After a temporary suspension following the crash, the remaining 11 jets of the Gripen squadron successfully performed an operation over the Gulf of Thailand on Thursday, which authorities said indicated that the loss of one of the jets had not dented the fleet’s operational abilities.
The Air Force plans to field a total force |of 18 Gripen jets. The first 12 were bought for Bt34.4 billion while Air Chief Marshal Chalit Pukbhasuk was the Air Force’s commander-in-chief. 
The purchase came with an agreement that Sweden would provide aid, training and maintenance in relation to the jets, but as potential war-fighting aircraft, they were not insured.
The Gripen fighter jet was manufactured to replace the J35 Darken and AJS 37 Viggen fighter jets utilised by the Swedish air force. It was unveiled on April 26, 1987, which coincided with Saab’s 50th anniversary, and tested on December 9, 1988. 
The jets were commissioned by the Swedish Air Force in 1997. 
Being a 4.5 Generation Fighter, the light, single-engine, multi-role fighter aircraft has a command and control system and is compatible with various weapon systems, meaning it has the potential to be further developed and upgraded. 
The aircraft can take off on an 800-metre runway and land on a 500-metre section of highway, while requiring only a five-member ground-support team. 
In performing group tasks, squadrons can partially avoid detection by using one jet’s radar to send target information to group members to attack the target. The aircraft has a stealth system reportedly similar to that of the US F-22 fighter jet.