The government signed this Saturday (15) a contract with the Swedish manufacturer Saab for the purchase of 17 Gripen E/F fighters.
In April, the Colombians decided on the Saab Gripen E/F as their new combat aircraft. The choice is important for Brazil, which also opted for the model in 2014 and has an assembly line set up by Saab at the factory in Gavião Peixoto (SP).
According to a statement from Saab, the contract provides for the delivery of 15 Gripen E fighters, with one seat, and two Gripen F, with two seats. Additionally, associated equipment and weapons, training and other services are included.
The Swedish manufacturer and the Colombian government also announced the signing of two compensation agreements that establish the framework for several military and social projects, in areas such as aeronautics, cybersecurity, health, sustainable energy and water purification technology.
On social media, the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, stated that combat planes are “deterrent weapons to achieve peace.” The statement does not directly quote US President Donald Trump, but comes amid escalating tensions in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea.
Trump has ordered attacks on boats with suspected drug traffickers off the coasts of Colombia and Venezuela, which have resulted in public criticism from Petro. Tension in the north is growing, with the expansion of the American military presence in the region and the possibility of military action against the country led by Nicolás Maduro.
The Saab Gripen E/F should replace the old Israeli Kfir supersonics in Colombia, whose design was stolen by Tel Aviv intelligence from the French model Mirage-5 when Paris decided to veto the sale of the fighter to the Jewish State in the 1970s.
operates about 10 of the original 24 Kfir. Its most capable models are the Brazilian A-29 Super Tucano, of which there are 24 units.
The choice also gives an additional guarantee to the technological project of the Brazilian Gripen, avoiding underutilization of the . The more customers, the more planes, the more maintenance and the like. In addition to Embraer, the more than 60 Brazilian companies involved in the project should be favored.
Additionally, the Brazilian Air Force will be in a position to help train Colombian pilots. So far, 14 Brazilian aviators are able to fly the eight Gripen already delivered to the FAB, and one of them was under Swedish instruction.
In the Brazilian project, 15 of the 36 planes. Due to the history of budgetary hiccups in the first years of the partnership, in addition to natural issues involved in developing a new aircraft model, the fleet that should be complete in the middle of this decade is only expected to be completed close to 2030.
Brazil now wants to buy 14 more fighters, in the form of an addendum to the original contract, worth around R$4 billion. The discussions are at a standstill in practice, but they have moved forward politically, with the announcement of the C-390 acquisition from Embraer — the parties do not use the term tying, but in practice that is the intention.
the president of the manufacturer Saab, Micael Johansson, said that the idea is to use the assembly line implemented by Saab at the factory in Gavião Peixoto (SP) to supply aircraft in the region.
The expansion of the Brazilian center aims to ease the line in , which already foresees an increase in demand from both the Swedish government and other countries due to the new geopolitical configuration of the continent, threatening to leave the Europeans alone, which led to announcements followed by an increase in military spending.
For Saab, the contract is an important victory, which came following the choice of Gripen and the elimination of the American F-35 from the list of choices in Portugal, increasing Sweden’s chances. Once again, the Portuguese are irritated by the White House’s hostile policy towards Europe and the military alliance.
