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Colombia chose a young Gas 39 Griben as the latest fighter plane in the front lines


Colombia has signed a letter of intent to acquire Gripen E, as it launched negotiations that would make the country a operator in the second South America.

After nearly two years of speculation and not confirmed ReportsColombia finally chose Sweden Jas39 Gripen can It also made its fighter plane. Colombian President Gustavo Petro She announced the social media decision, with Reports Saying a deal that will be completed at F-Air Colombia 2025 International Airshow.

With an intentional letter signed by his office, Swedish Ambassador Helena Storm and SAB representatives said that the acquisition would improve the “strategic air defense of Colombia”. No details have been issued about the deal, including the number of aircraft and variables.

However, Petro stated that “the fleet of the aircraft to be obtained is completely new, with the latest technology, which was already published in Brazil, a SAAB 39 GRIPEN brand.” This means that Fuerza Aerospice Colombiana (Fac) will get the latest variable Jas39 Gripeen E, which is itself used by Brazil.

Gripen E contains the AESA (AESA Active Electronic Electronic) radar and IRST sensor (Red Red Research), among other developments such as a new communications group, linking data and weapons capabilities. This also would make Colombia the sixth international user of SAB Griben, next to the state of the manufacturer Sweden, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Thailand And South Africa.

After the Petro Declaration, Swedish Defense Minister Bill Johnson wrote On his official profile “It is my pleasure that President Petro has announced that Colombia chooses Gripen as a fighter plane. Negotiations will start now.” Negotiations will end the details such as the number of aircraft, as the plane, timelines, weapons and training will be built.

“It is very important for SAB and Sweden that Colombia Petro President announced his intention to obtain a combined GRIOPEN E/f fighter.”

Sanab in South America

The pioneer in the Brazilian Aerospace Major is now working for several years with Saab, and he makes the plane for the local Air Force. Looking at the local industrial friendliness of the aircraft and a Petro signal for potential commercial displacement, the South American industrial base can also be used in the largest scheme of things.

This may be either the manufacture of the plane as a whole for Colombia, which requires a separate diplomatic effort between Brazilia and Pogota, or at least resource spare parts and components of the fleet, which simplifies the supply chain and maintains maintenance costs and low life cycle costs. SABB has long wanted to expand its presence in Latin America, with the president of the company, Michael Johansson Saying In May 2023, the company wanted to see “Brazil to be a source of Latin America and possibly other regions.”

The most prominent thing in 2014 Deal with Brazil for 36 Gripen-E/F Jets5.4 billion dollars at the time, its partnership with Embraer to manufacture 15 aircraft at the Sao Paolo factory under the TOT (technology transfer) deal. It was the same model as well Monument For the average combat plane in the Air Force (IAF) MMRCA (a multi -role combat aircraft), where SAAB “has offered 100 % tot” and building a local “ecosystem” with “local manufacturing for parts”.

In the case of Colombia, there were already indications that this country will eventually choose Gripen, given that a full model of the volume of the plane in the Fac (Fuerza Aérea Colombiana) colors was Display During the Pista23 exhibition. The plane was displayed with a set of air and air loads to the ground such as IRIS-T, meteor Aams, RBS-15 missiles, KPD Tauurus 350 Air-Torgr GBU-39 SDBS (a small diameter bomb).

Old kfirs

Colombia has always been trying to replace 20 IAI (IAI Industries) KFIR Jets, which was obtained in the 1980s, where the planes now lived their useful life in service. Based on the French Dassault Mirge v and its support General Electric J79 Turbojets19 KFirs Colombian is still in service, according to Global Air Force Report 2024.

In 2017, the face was also I mentioned To acquire I-Derby-AR AAM (air missile to the air) for nine KFIRS that was updated by Israel ETA with AESA El/M 2052 radar. However, old aircraft structures and problems with spare parts swelling the maintenance costs to $ 25,000 per hour of flight. FAC then retired and eaten six planes for spare parts.

Colombia also shares the same internal threats posed by drug cartoons to Brazil, and on March 29, 2025He released a video of a “illegal plane” that took off from the Colombian airspace, heading towards Costa Rica. Brazil Update A-29 Super Tucanos to communicate with Gripens for this very slow intersection role.

Update efforts

The first update efforts were reported in late 2022, when Colombia held talks with Saab and France Dassault, but the lack of sufficient matter, standing in three to five aircraft only, was not surprising to those “initial negotiations.” Then the Colombian government finally agreed to the number 16 of Rafale with Dasso for $ 3 billion. Lockheed Martin, who offers F-16, was also running. Military Zone He said in July 2024 that this decision was “opposite.”

And follow this Reuters Quoting [last] The year, we were unable to confirm with the French or with the Swedish.

Brazilian Air Force Jas39 Gripen-E on a trip. (Credit Photo: Saab)

And follow this Reuters and Sweden Sweden Radio Reports in November 2024 partially quoted Velaskiz, partially confirmed development, confirming that Bogota was thinking about GRIPEN, but nothing has been completed yet. Saab and Velasquez mysteriously alluded to continuous conversations, but they constantly emphasized that the plane was not completed, indicating that a final deal was in the near future.





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