Gripen Fighters Knock Out Rivals in Thailand–Cambodia Border Flare-Up

A Saab Gripen Fighter Jet.

The 2025 border flare-up between Thailand and Cambodia, sparked by disputed territory near the Preah Vihear temple, has subsided into a precarious ceasefire. Yet the brief conflict revealed a decisive imbalance: Thailand’s Western-supplied forces managed to fight off Cambodian attacks and, in some cases, virtually wipe out key artillery positions.

Central to this success was the combat debut of Sweden’s Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets. Working alongside American F-16s, the Gripens helped push back Cambodian defenses by using precision-guided strikes against artillery and command hubs. The Royal Thai Air Force avoided being dragged into costly ground engagements, instead leveraging air superiority to knock out threats from a safe distance.

The Gripen’s smaller radar cross-section, low operating costs, and capacity to operate from short runways proved decisive advantages. With Sweden’s Erieye airborne radar providing real-time intelligence, Thai pilots were able to go around enemy movements and target them before they could regroup.

Though the war was too short to fully test the Gripens, their effectiveness convinced Bangkok to order four new Gripen E/F models, part of a broader plan to replace aging F-16s by 2035. The jets’ performance has already stirred international interest, with several developing nations seeing them as a cost-effective way to fight off regional threats without being dragged into exorbitant procurement programs.

While the ceasefire holds, the political dispute is far from resolved. Still, one clear victor has emerged: Sweden’s Saab, whose Gripens have not only knocked out Cambodian defenses but also pushed over lingering doubts about the jet’s combat value on the global stage.

1. Flare up

Definition: To suddenly start or intensify, especially referring to conflict, violence, or emotion.

Example: Tensions flared up along the border after an exchange of artillery fire.

Practice Question: Can you describe a time when a political dispute flared up unexpectedly?

2. Fight off

Definition: To defend yourself successfully against something or someone.

Example: The army fought off repeated enemy assaults during the night.

Practice Question: How might a country fight off an economic crisis?

3. Wipe out

Definition: To completely destroy or eliminate something.

Example: Airstrikes wiped out the enemy’s supply lines in under 24 hours.

Practice Question: In what situations might a business be wiped out overnight?

4. Push over

Definition: To defeat or overcome something with relative ease; also to physically tip something over.

Example: The upgraded fighter jets pushed over the enemy’s defenses in minutes.

Practice Question: What technological advancement could push over current barriers in medicine?

5. Push around

Definition: To treat someone in an aggressive or domineering way, often taking advantage of them.

Example: Smaller countries often feel pushed around by more powerful nations in trade negotiations.

Practice Question: When have you seen a weaker side refuse to be pushed around?

6. Knock out

Definition: To disable, remove from action, or defeat decisively.

Example: The storm knocked out electricity to thousands of homes.

Practice Question: What natural events can knock out a country’s infrastructure?

7. Drag into

Definition: To involve someone in an unpleasant or unwanted situation.

Example: The neutral state was dragged into the conflict after its airspace was violated.

Practice Question: Can you think of a time when a person was dragged into a dispute they didn’t start?