Sweden’s Gripen Jet Offer to Philippines Gains Momentum

Sweden has intensified its pitch for the potential sale of its JAS39 Gripen fighter jet to the Philippines.

The Philippines and Sweden are set sign an  Implementing Arrangement (IA) concerning the Procurement of Defense Material (PDM) and Equipment at the inaugural Joint Committee Meeting to be held in March 2024 in Sweden, the Philippines MoD said in a February 16 release.

The IA-PDM will pave the way for Stockholm to formally offer the JAS39 Gripen Jet fighter as part of the latter’s Multi-Role Fighter (MRF) Aircraft Acquisition Project of the Philippine Air Force,

Sweden is likely to offer a lease-finance arrangement similar to the one it has with Thailand which is amore cost-effective than an outright sale even compared to a “budget” fighter jet such as the South Korean F/A-50, a source familiar with the procurement told defensemirror.com at the Singapore Airshow.

Sweden is expected to further sweeten the deal with the offer of its Saab 2000 Erieye early warning system as part a Gripen package.

New entrant India is also vigorously pursuing the Philippines fighter deal with the offer of its LCA Tejas  jet. An Indian delegation with in Manila earlier this month to make a pitch for its LCA along with other weapons.