He Government of Colombia of Gustavo Petro has signed a contract with the Swedish company Saab for the acquisition of 17 Gripen combat aircraft for an approximate value of 3.1 billion euros ($3.6 billion). The agreement includes the delivery of 15 single-seat Gripen E and 2 two-seat Gripen F units, along with weapons, training and associated services. Deliveries will take place between 2026 and 2032, in what Saab has described as a long-term strategic alliance that will strengthen Colombian air defense.
The contract also includes industrial compensation agreements (offsets) that will benefit Colombia in sectors such as aeronautics, cybersecurity, energy and health. With this operation, considered one of Sweden’s largest military exports, Colombia will replace its aging fleet of Kfir aircraft of Israeli origin.
“I am honored that Colombia has chosen the Gripen E/F to strengthen its air defense capabilities and I am pleased to welcome it to the Gripen family,” said Micael Johansson, president and CEO of Saab, in a statement. “This marks the beginning of a solid and lasting alliance that will strengthen Colombia’s defense and security, benefit its population and boost the country’s innovative capacity.”
LOOK: General Commander of the FAP retires
The Peruvian process and the strategic dilemma
In parallel, Peru is in the final stage of its own acquisition process of 24 fighter aircraft, with an estimated budget of 3.5 billion dollars. According to reports from Peru21the Peruvian Air Force (FAP) evaluated three options: F-16 from the United States, Rafale from France and Gripen E/F from Sweden. The debate has been intense, because while some sectors highlight the modernity of the Gripen, others question its limited experience in real combat, a factor that could be decisive for a country seeking to replace its Mirage 2000 of French origin.
The journalistic investigation of Peru21 has warned that the process during the previous management of the FAP general command and the Ministry of Defense would have been more interested in Saab, which has raised doubts about whether competitors with greater operational history, such as the F-16 or the Rafale, would be unjustifiably discarded.
LOOK: Petro got on a Swedish Gripen and was emboldened against Peru
With journalistic knowledge of the process, it is necessary to underline from Peru21 that the choice of a fighter depends not only on its technology, but also on its combat history, logistical support and strategic alliances. The Gripen offers advantages in operating costs and industrial cooperation—even with a neighboring country like Brazil—but it lacks the track record of the American F-16—with thousands of proven combat hours—or the French Rafale, which has demonstrated capability in international operations and comes from the Dassault plant, the same manufacturer of the Mirage 2000.
The question that remains open for Peru is clear: should we follow the path of Colombia and bet on Sweden, or should we opt for one of the other two providers with more experience in real scenarios? Everything will be decided by the government of President José Jerí.
He asked for an advance
In a revealing interview —at the beginning of November— with journalist Víctor Andrés Ponce, director of the opinion portal El Montonero, the outgoing vice minister of Defense policies of the Dina Boluarte government made revelations about the reserved purchasing process that Peru maintains to renew the FAP combat fleet.
César Torres was vice minister of the Ministry of Defense from April 2024 to October of this year, during the government of former president Dina Boluarte.
The outgoing senior official testified about the delay in the acquisition of 24 warplanes, and has called on the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) to accelerate the procedures for disbursing the money. In addition, he revealed that he knows who has won the acquisition process of new war planes for our country.
Although the president of the Council of Ministers, Ernesto Álvarez, has pointed out in Congress the continuity of the State policy in this matter, explicitly mentioning the purchase of the 24 fighters and 12 subsonic aircraft, former vice minister Torres spoke of slowness in the MEF.
“I believe that the Ministry of Economy and Finance is not giving the speed at which it should be given,” declared Torres. He revealed that, although the payment schedule was presented in August, the negotiation phase has not yet concluded. It is crucial that the MEF send the technical file to the Comptroller’s Office to finalize this phase and schedule the disbursement of 20% of the total for the year 2026. This 20% corresponds to a part of the 3.5 billion dollars estimated for the acquisition of the 24 fighters.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO
