Colombian fighter choice imminent

The Colombian government is likely to make decision on its future fighter aircraft shortly.

About two years ago, the Rafale was revealed as the winner of the heavily contested contract. The purchase however fell through due to credit issues. After entering office in August 2022, the Colombian president has stated repeatedly that the replacement of the current fleet of IAI Kfirs was not one of his priorities.

The Colombian Kfirs however, will not only reach the end of the service life soon, but their continued operation has also been further complicated by political relations between Colombia’s left-wing government and Israel, making their prolonged operation more doubtful.

Earlier, the Lockheed-Martin F-16 Block 70/72 has long been named a frontrunner in the competition set for the Fuerza Aérea Colombiana (FAC, Colombian Air Force), however the competition appears to wide open again, with also the SAAB 39 Gripen and Eurofighter Typhoon as contenders, beside the Rafale.

All four companies (Dassault, Lockheed-Martin, Eurofighter, and SAAB) have filed their bids with the Colombian government, which is likely to announce the winner within a few weeks. The Eurofighter offer may include second-hand Spanish Air Force Typhoons, whereas the Gripen offer is said to use the Brazilian Gripen productionline.

A winner is expected to be announced later this year.

Credit photo: Wim Sonneveld