Swedish arms giant Saab is now looking forward to a billion-dollar deal with the Philippines, as the Swedish state in November permitted the export of the Jas Gripen to the country, a Swedish newspaper revealed.
The Export Control Council (EKR) at Sweden’s Arms Export Authority (ISP) reportedly made a unanimous decision to approve the deal. The ISP itself, however, neither confirmed nor denied the information for reasons of commercial secrecy.
This would mark the first time in history that Swedish arms exports to the Philippines have been approved. As recently as last October, the EKR rejected the export of the Jas Gripen to the island nation, according to the newspaper.
Saab's press manager Mattias Rådström admitted that the Philippines’ interest in the Gripen was “common knowledge.”
“We have been in talks with them for several years, and we are convinced that the Gripen is the best plane for the Philippines. But we currently do not have any further comments to make on the matter,” Rådström told Swedish media.
The exact number of jets the deal may involve and the exact model of Gripen in question is unknown, but released emails by the Swedish Defense Ministry featured the Jas Gripen C and D. Regardless of the model, however, a billion-dollar deal may now be at Saab’s doorstep.
Saab has long been trying to sell the Jas Gripen to the Philippines, and since 2016 the company has had a sales office in Manila.
However, the deal has been seen sensitive in Sweden, due to allegations of human rights violations in the country under former President Rodrigo Duterte. In addition, the country has been in an armed conflict with militias in some of its breakaway regions, which precluded arms deals according to Swedish law. According to Swedish media, the assessment within the ISP is that arms export is now possible because Duterte has lost power and there is hope from the Swedish side that the situation in the country will improve.
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a light single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft. Earlier models of the Gripen achieved moderate success in Central Europe, South Africa and Southeast Asia, yet suffered serious setbacks as Sweden's own neighbors Denmark, Finland and Norway all opted for US-made gear instead.
Founded in 1937, Saab is a pillar of Sweden’s aerospace and defence industry with a staff of a little under 20,000. The company is headquartered in Stockholm, yet the development and the manufacturing is undertaken in Linkoping.