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Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on November 14, 2025, that his government has finalized a €3.1 billion ($3.6 billion) agreement with Sweden for 17 Gripen E/F fighter aircraft, marking one of the largest defense purchases in the country’s history.

Saab, the Swedish maker of Gripen fighter jets, confirmed that the order covers 15 single-seat Gripen E jets and two two-seat Gripen F aircraft, along with associated weapons, training packages, and long-term support services. Deliveries are scheduled between 2026 and 2032.

Saab and the Colombian Government also signed two offset agreements covering industrial cooperation across emerging technology sectors, including aeronautics, cybersecurity, health, sustainable energy, and water purification.

Saab CEO Michael Johansson welcomed Colombia to what he called “the Gripen family,” noting that the partnership would enhance Colombia’s defense capabilities while supporting national innovation.

A Landmark Export Deal for Sweden

Swedish officials described the agreement as a milestone for the country’s defense industry. Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa said the acquisition represents one of Sweden’s largest export deals ever, strengthening both national security and the economy.

Sweden’s Minister for Defense Pal Jonson emphasized the advanced capabilities of the Gripen platform and noted that Colombian-Swedish defense cooperation would “deepen significantly” because of the deal.

🇸🇪🇨🇴I’m proud that Colombia today joins the Gripen E family, alongside Sweden, Brazil and Thailand. With the Colombian purchase of 17 Gripen E/F, our defence relations will deepen significantly & Colombia will receive one of the world’s greatest fighter jets. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/g0rESq69nD

— Pål Jonson (@PlJonson) November 14, 2025

Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard also highlighted the long-standing diplomatic ties between the two countries, which marked 150 years in 2024 and were strengthened by a bilateral partnership agreement that same year.

Swedish officials had visited Colombia several times in recent years to promote defense cooperation. At the 2024 F-AIR aeronautic fair, two Gripen E aircraft performed demonstration flights with support from the Brazilian Air Force. Earlier this year, both Jonson and Stenergard held high-level talks in Bogota as part of the evolving partnership.

Colombia’s Rising Tensions with US

President Gustavo Petro publicly confirmed the deal during a ceremony, offering the first explicit details on the number of jets and overall cost. His remarks placed the purchase in a broader geopolitical context, as Colombia remains locked in tense relations with the United States.

“This is a deterrent weapon to achieve peace,” Petro said on social media, emphasizing that the aircraft will serve to dissuade “aggression against Colombia, wherever it may come from.” He added that “in a world that is geopolitically messy,” threats could arise from any direction.

Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, has clashed repeatedly with U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has labeled him “an illegal drug leader” and has withdrawn financial aid to Colombia while removing it from Washington’s list of partners in the fight against drug trafficking. Petro, in turn, has accused the U.S. of destabilizing Latin America, alleging that recent U.S. military deployments are aimed at controlling Venezuela’s oil wealth.

Regional Uncertainty and the US Military Campaign

The fighter jet purchase comes as Colombia and other Latin American nations express alarm over a U.S. military campaign targeting alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

Washington says its operations have resulted in at least 20 strikes on vessels, killing around 80 people, though it has not publicly presented evidence linking the targets to drug trafficking.

Legal experts, human rights groups, and several Latin American leaders have accused the U.S. of carrying out extrajudicial killings. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, an ally of Petro, claims the U.S. attacks are aimed at ousting him.

Amid the escalating rhetoric, Petro recently announced that Colombia would suspend intelligence-sharing with the United States on drug trafficking operations. However, Colombian officials later softened that stance, suggesting cooperation would continue.

Competition from the US and French Manufacturers

U.S. and French defense companies had also sought to supply Colombia with fighter aircraft, but Bogota ultimately selected Sweden’s Gripen platform. The decision follows years of analysis within the Colombian Air Force, which has sought a replacement for its aging fleet of Kfir jets.

Saab’s Gripen was marketed as a cost-effective, technologically advanced solution with strong interoperability, low maintenance requirements, and operational flexibility across diverse climates and mission environments.

Swedish officials highlighted these qualities during the signing ceremony. “In Gripen, Colombia is getting one of the world’s most advanced combat aircraft,” said Defense Minister Pal Jonson. “I look forward to deepening our defense policy cooperation.”

Long-Term Strategic Partnership

The aircraft purchase reinforces a broader pattern of growing cooperation between Sweden and Colombia. Since signing a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation in 2017, the two countries have expanded ties in security, trade, and technology development.

“With this agreement, Colombia joins a group of nations operating one of the world’s leading fighter aircraft,” said Johansson. “This marks the beginning of a strong and long-term partnership that will strengthen Colombia’s defense and security.”

Sweden views the sale as a key example of how trade and security intersect, while Colombia sees the acquisition as part of its effort to modernize its air force and project stability amid shifting geopolitical dynamics.

As tensions with Washington continue, Bogota’s alignment with Sweden, and by extension Europe’s defense industry, signals a significant shift in Colombia’s strategic calculus. The Gripen deal, officials on both sides say, will define bilateral defense cooperation for decades to come.