Not So Fast: America Shoots Down Sweden’s Gripen Jet Deal With Colombia
But blocking the Saab deal could push Bogotá—and perhaps other countries in Latin America—to explore alternative options, including those from China.
Last November, Colombia announced it would move forward with plans to acquire the Swedish-made Saab JAS 39 Gripen multirole fighter, while Brazil increased its order for the jets by 25%. However, the $3.2 billion deal with Bogotá has reportedly hit some significant turbulence. Though Colombia still is interested in the 4.5+ generation fighters, it appears that Washington may block it—by blocking the export of the American-made engines.
In a post on social media on Tuesday, SA Defensa wrote, “The United States will officially veto the sale of the General Electric F414-GE-39E engine used on the @Saab Gripen E,” and added, “This act would result in the US committing to a *full veto* of any Gripen E to Colombia.”
Colombia is Seeking a New Fighter
Bogotá has been looking to replace its older Israeli-made Kfir aircraft, which have been expensive to maintain—putting a major strain on the nation’s defense budget. Colombia isn’t the only South American nation to eye the Swedish fighter. In addition to Brazil, which has begun to adopt the Gripen, Peru has also expressed interest in the JAS 39, which was developed with low maintenance requirements, while it can operate from austere facilities.
The Gripen is equipped with reinforced landing gear that positions the airframe high above the ground to prevent any debris from being sucked into the jet engine’s air intake.
Moreover, the Saab JAS 39 is capable of air combat and air-to-ground operations, including landing on remote roads turned into temporary runways, and can carry a variety of advanced munitions.
Legal Issues Continue
According to a report from the South American-based Infodensa.com, the issue over the sale of the JAS 39 by Saab is based on a “disagreement with the commercial practices applied by Colombia for the acquisition of a new fighter aircraft,” leading to the veto on the use of the General Electric F414G engine.
Washington is expressing concerns about the transfer of U.S.-made military technology—in this case, the engines—even to a regional partner, Bulgaria Military explained.
This isn’t the first time that Saab has faced scrutiny from the United States when it comes to the JAS 39.
As reported in October 2024, Brazil’s decade-old decision to acquire three dozen Gripen jet fighters previously came under review when the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) launched an investigation into possible corruption. Saab North America, the U.S. subsidiary of the Swedish aerospace giant, was even served with a subpoena last year.
It was the third governmental legal review into Brazil’s selection process of the JAS 39 over the French-made Dassault Rafale and the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, while it followed separate investigations launched in 2014 and 2015 by Brazilian prosecutors that also looked into the factors that led the Brazilian government to finalize the deal. Both of the previous investigations were closed without any charges being brought forward, while Swedish authorities also conducted another investigation.
That wasn’t seen as good enough for U.S. officials, however.
Much of the issue is based on the fact that the deal was concluded while Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva previously served as president. Though Lula had since been convicted on a variety of charges of money laundering and corruption, he returned to power in 2023—and even as past investigations found no wrongdoing, Washington subsequently moved forward with its own investigation as what led to Brasilia’s decision to choose the Swedish aircraft over the rivals. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) allows the DoJ to investigate possible violations including those outside of the United States, including those involved in corruption and bribery that may involve American firms or subsidiaries—in this case, Saab North America.
Will It Drive A Wedge Between Bogotá and Washington?
There may be much more to this story regarding Bogotá’s selection of the Gripen. The report from Infodensa.com noted Washington had sought to entice Colombia to consider a U.S.-made offering instead—with the U.S. citing interoperability benefits that it would provide.
The U.S. has worked with partners in South America to find a way for those countries to adopt U.S.-made military hardware. The U.S. State Department last fall approved a Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Argentina for two dozen F-16 Fighting Falcons from Denmark, in a deal valued at $320 million.
That had also been seen as blocking Buenos Aires from exploring options from Beijing or Moscow after Argentina had been seen to express interest in the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-24 (NATO reporting name Fencer) and Chinese-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder jet fighters.
The U.S. has sought to limit China’s footprint in South America, but blocking the Saab deal could push Bogotá (and perhaps other countries in Latin America) to explore alternative options including those from China.
Why Not The F-16 Instead?
Perhaps the main goal of blocking the engine sale is not about addressing concerns over corruption within the Colombian government. But a secondary objective for Washington might be to pressure the South American country into opting for the F-16 instead. In December, the U.S. even offered to sell the Colombian Air and Space Force (FAC) eight used Fighting Falcons and donate an additional 16—or sell Bogotá eight to 24 new models.
Yet ongoing maintenance costs have still been a major factor, even when it comes to donated aircraft. Beyond the price tag, Colombia has been seen to lack the infrastructure required to support the F-16.
For now, it seems that Washington has tried to use the carrot, and the veto could be the stick. The danger may be that it simply drives the FAC towards affordable Chinese offerings instead.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
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