DefenseColombia nears Gripen fighter purchase after contract revisions
Colombia’s Defense Minister, Pedro Sánchez, stated that the contract for the acquisition of Saab Gripen E fighters should be signed still in November, after adjustments to the initial schedule.
According to Sánchez, the delays are not due to political or financial obstacles, but rather a detailed review of the contract terms with state agencies, which resulted in changes to the deadlines.
“The safest bet is that it will happen this month of November. It was necessary to make adjustments to the schedule, and that is why we expect it to be signed in November,” Sánchez said, according to local media.
The agreement provides for the acquisition of 16 to 24 Gripen E aircraft, with an estimated cost of 16.5 billion Colombian pesos (about US$ 4.3 billion), in addition to approximately 300 million pesos allocated for infrastructure adjustments to accommodate the new fighters.
The Colombian Air Force plans to replace its current fleet of IAI Kfir with the Swedish fighters, in a move that follows regional trends of modernizing combat air assets.
The negotiation involves Saab and Colombian authorities, with expectations that the signing of the contract will allow the start of the delivery schedule and associated training, which are crucial for the operational transition.
Originally, the government expected to sign the contract in October after selecting the Swedish aircraft in a competition with the F-16 and the Rafale.
Saab has been waiting for the new agreement for some time, as it will be the fourth customer of the new generation Gripen. In addition to Sweden and Brazil, Thailand has also recently signed a contract for the supersonic jet. Peru, in turn, is also in the final stages of proposal analysis and may become the fifth operator of the Gripen.
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