In the ceremony for the promotion of 43 senior officers of the Military and Police Forces to the rank of General of the Republic, President Gustavo Petro announced that the country will make a budgetary effort and “will have an air superiority force that will replace our old kfir apparatus”.
“This is an investment, undoubtedly, in the billions, if it is measured in Colombian pesos, it is a strategic investment if it is measured from constitutional purposes,” added the head of state.
Also, the President spoke regarding the negotiations for these new aircraft, “negotiations have taken place that not only provide sufficient grace periods, but also establish contractual criteria, through which Colombia’s public investment is returned, not only in the instruments it buys, but in the necessary support for national capacities in a series of issues that have to do with the development of the aeronautical and aerospace industry”.
Finally, Petro specified that technologies, capacities and knowledge will be available “to build in Colombia and not only to import. For the same amount of money that these strategic instruments are worth, it will be returned in terms of the capacity of the Public Force and Colombian society in industry issues, which we have chosen as a priority in accordance with our National Development Plan”.