From April 24 to 27, Lima is the epicenter of one of the most important international defense and security fairs in South America. The opening day of SITDEF 2025 featured the presence of major companies from the regional and global defense sector. However, a notable absence stood out among the rest and did not go unnoticed: Dassault Aviation did not present a stand at the fair, a significant detail considering that its Rafale is one of the multirole fighters being evaluated in the Peruvian Air Force’s shortlist to replace the Mirage 2000P and MiG-29.
As previously mentioned, the Peruvian Air Force is moving forward with a selection process to acquire a new multirole combat platform to replace its Mirage 2000 and MiG-29, which, after decades of service, offer limited operability at best—or none at all in the worst cases.
This process has led to a shortlist of candidates which, up until the start of the SITDEF fair, consisted of the F-16 Block 70 from Lockheed Martin, the JAS-39 Gripen E/F from Saab, and the Rafale from Dassault Aviation.
For its part, on the side of the Ministry of Defense and related budgetary matters, the Peruvian government included in the defense budget approved at the end of last year the purchase of 24 new multirole fighters for the Peruvian Air Force.
As stated by the Minister of Defense, Walter Astudillo Chávez, at that time: “…The loan, which at the current exchange rate amounts to just over 2 billion dollars, will allow the execution of Phase I of the FAP Acquisition Investment Project, which, among other systems, includes an initial batch of 12 units out of the 24 planned fighter-bombers.”
Regarding the latest updates on the candidates evaluated by the FAP, the Swedish Parliament authorized the Swedish government to enter into agreements with Peru for the potential sale of up to 12 Saab Gripen fighter aircraft and other related military systems.
Additionally, at SITDEF, Saab presented a prominent stand, featuring a mock-up of a Gripen fighter equipped with various air-to-air and air-to-ground weaponry—reflecting promotional and governmental efforts to be selected by the Peruvian Air Force, with the aim of expanding its regional presence, currently centered in Brazil, the only operator of the Gripen in South America.
This strong presence by Saab contrasts with the absence of Dassault Aviation, whose Rafale fighter is also part of the shortlist. Although not officially confirmed, the lack of representation at SITDEF—the most important defense and security fair in Peru—could be interpreted as a sign that the French fighter is not being seriously considered by the Peruvian Air Force authorities.
If this exclusion is confirmed, the selection of Peru’s future fighter would come down to the proposals from Lockheed Martin—with the U.S.-backed F-16—and the JAS-39 Gripen, promoted by Saab and the Swedish government, which is aiming to establish a presence in another South American country following the recent selection announcement by the Colombian Aerospace Force.
Original text written in spanish by Juan José Roldán.
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