Colombia to buy Saab fighter aircraft, Swedish public radio reports

FILE PHOTO: Swedish Air Force Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets fly alongside an aircraft simulating aerial interceptions, during a media day illustrating how NATO Air Policing safeguards the Allies' airspace in the northern and northeastern region of the Alliance, July 4, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo

Source: REUTERS

Colombia will buy a fleet of JAS Gripen fighter aircraft made by Sweden's Saab, Swedish public radio SR's Ekot news broadcast reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources.

Saab's share price rose 3.4% in Stockholm by 1506 GMT on the news.

"We have taken note of the information in the media but cannot comment further at this time. We have previously had a dialogue with Colombia regarding the sale of Gripen, but there is currently no contract," a Saab spokesperson told Reuters.

It was not immediately clear how many aircraft Colombia may order from the Swedish defence contractor.

Saab AB has sought to boost sales of the Gripen fighter in Latin America, including to Colombia and Peru from a production base in Brazil which was developed in partnership with Embraer SA.

Colombia has long planned to replace its ageing fleet of Israeli-made Kfir warplanes, but talks held in 2022 with Saab as well as French rival Dassault Aviation eventually collapsed, the country's defence minister said early last year.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters