The contract also includes upgrades to airbase infrastructure to accommodate the new jets, alongside logistical and training support. Payment will be made in instalments, with completion scheduled by 2032.
As part of the offset arrangements, Swedish companies committed to non-defence investments in Colombia. These include a solar panel factory in the Córdoba department, water access points in La Guajira, and advanced medical equipment for the San Juan de Dios hospital in Bogotá.
The new aircraft will replace Colombia’s ageing fleet of 12 IAI Kfir supersonic jets, which have been in service for 44 years—32 of those under Colombian operation after their acquisition from Israel. Colombia announced the decision to select the JAS-39E Gripen fighters on 3 April 2025, joining Sweden, Brazil, and Thailand as the fourth operator of the Gripen E.
