Colombian President Gustavo Petro has confirmed a $4.3bn deal to buy 17 Swedish Saab Gripen fighters, describing the jets as a "deterrent weapon to achieve peace." The purchase comes amid rising tensions with the United States and a regional debate over recent US strikes on vessels suspected of drug trafficking. Saab beat competing US and French offers, and Sweden says the deal will strengthen defence ties with Bogotá. The move may have broader diplomatic and security implications for the region.
Colombia Signs $4.3bn Deal for 17 Swedish Gripen Fighters Amid Rising Tensions with the US
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has confirmed a $4.3bn deal to buy 17 Swedish Saab Gripen fighters, describing the jets as a "deterrent weapon to achieve peace." The purchase comes amid rising tensions with the United States and a regional debate over recent US strikes on vessels suspected of drug trafficking. Saab beat competing US and French offers, and Sweden says the deal will strengthen defence ties with Bogotá. The move may have broader diplomatic and security implications for the region.
08:56 AM, 11/15/2025Security
Colombia Confirms $4.3bn Purchase of 17 Gripen Fighters
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has confirmed a $4.3 billion agreement with Sweden's Saab to buy 17 Gripen fighter jets, providing the first clear statement of the purchase's scale and cost after it was initially announced in April.
"This is a deterrent weapon to achieve peace," Petro wrote on social media, framing the acquisition as a measure to protect Colombian sovereignty.
The purchase comes amid heightened tensions between Bogotá and Washington and broader regional unease following a US military build-up in parts of Latin America. The United States has conducted a series of strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific it says targeted drug-smuggling operations; media and official tallies cite about 20 confirmed strikes and roughly 80 fatalities in international waters, though Washington has not publicly released detailed evidence for each incident.
Regional leaders, legal experts and human-rights organisations have criticised the US strikes, arguing some actions may amount to extrajudicial killings of suspects who should be detained and tried under due process. Meanwhile, political rhetoric has escalated: former US President Donald Trump has publicly accused both Petro and Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro of links to the regional drug trade — allegations both leaders deny.
Petro said the new jets "will be used to dissuade aggression against Colombia, wherever it may come from," adding that in a congested geopolitical environment threats "can come from anywhere." The president has also accused the US deployment of seeking to seize Venezuelan oil and destabilise the region. Trump has in turn cut some US aid to Colombia and removed it from a list of partner countries in international counter-narcotics cooperation.
Amid the diplomatic spat, Petro briefly announced a suspension of intelligence-sharing with the US on counter-narcotics operations, a move his administration later softened as officials clarified operational cooperation would continue in some areas.
Saab prevailed over competing offers from US and French manufacturers, AFP reports. Sweden's Defence Minister Pal Jonsson welcomed the decision, noting Colombia joins Sweden, Brazil and Thailand as countries choosing the Gripen and saying defence ties between Bogotá and Stockholm are likely to "deepen significantly."
Implications: The deal strengthens Colombia's aerial capabilities and signals a shift in defence procurement choices that may have diplomatic and regional security repercussions. Observers say the purchase underscores Colombia's intent to project deterrence while navigating a fraught relationship with the United States.