At the end of yesterday, the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, announced through the social network “X” that the JAS-39 Gripen had been officially selected as the future combat aircraft for the Colombian Aerospace Force. The decision, framed within the signing of a Letter of Intent, indicates that Saab’s proposal has prevailed in the force’s consideration as the replacement for the current Kfir fighters, surpassing the proposal submitted by the United States based on the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
In recent years, with the aging and necessary replacement of the Israeli-origin Kfirs, the Colombian Aerospace Force undertook a major effort to initiate a process of studies and analysis of proposals to replace these fighters, which have accumulated decades of service and were at risk of being retired without a replacement.
On this point, it is worth noting that Colombia gained time, and despite its recent stance against Israel due to the armed conflict with the terrorist group Hamas, the Colombian government reached an agreement for the maintenance and sustainment of the Kfir fleet, allowing additional time for the selection of a short-term replacement.
This process culminated in the recent announcement by President Petro, who, according to information shared on platform X, confirmed the signing of a Letter of Intent for the acquisition of JAS-39 Gripen fighters from Sweden.
Regarding the decision, the president stated: “Following the Letter of Intent signed by the government of the Kingdom of Sweden, and after approving the country’s strategic air defense as a prioritized project, I announce: The fleet of aircraft to be acquired is entirely new, featuring the latest technology already implemented in Brazil, and belongs to the Saab 39 Gripen brand.”
With the confirmation of the Letter of Intent with Saab and Sweden, the next phase of negotiations must define the total number of aircraft to be acquired, the new weapons package, and other operational details, including infrastructure requirements to support and operate the new combat platform.
It is important to highlight that the signed Letter of Intent, as has happened in similar cases, is not legally binding between the parties, but it can be seen as the initial step towards formal negotiations.
Finally, if this process moves forward, Colombia would become a new operator of the Swedish aircraft, joining Brazil as the only and main operator in the region. Brazil has been advancing in the local production and assembly of various components through Embraer. Additionally, it is worth noting that the Gripen is also one of the candidates being analyzed by the Peruvian Air Force to replace its MiG-29 and Mirage 2000 fighters, a process in which it is competing with the U.S. F-16 and France’s Rafale.
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