Philippine Secretary of Defense Carlito Galvez Jr. and Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson signed a memorandum of understanding for the Gripen fighter jet.

The Philippines and Sweden signed a defense memorandum of understanding for the Saab Gripen to be included in the Philippine Air Force's inventory. In addition, according to the content of the agreement between the two countries, the Philippines will allow Swedish companies to participate in various modernization programs of the Philippine Armed Forces.

4 different aircraft from 4 countries competed in the multi-role fighter aircraft tender organized by the Philippines. The F-16 developed by the US manufacturer Lockheed Martin, Sweden's Saab Gripen, Tejas developed by India and the Chinese production JF-17 appeared in the tender. The Philippine administration, which found Sweden's offer reasonable, signed an agreement with Sweden in Singapore.

The following statements were made by the Philippine Ministry of Defense:

“The agreement provides opportunities for the Swedish defense industry to participate in the Philippine Armed Forces modernization program, as well as possible joint ventures to support the Philippines' move to achieve a self-sufficient defensive posture.”

Previously, the United States had offered the Philippines 12 new F-16 Block 70s worth about $2.43 billion, but former Philippine National Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana rejected the offer, saying it was too expensive. Therefore, it was decided to act according to other proposals to be made. The latest offer made by the US administration was the F-16 Block 50/52, which was upgraded to the Viper standard.

Sweden's offer included an updated second-hand Gripen C and D fighter (single and two-seater) with fifth-generation electronics, with the unofficial designation standard "C+". Sweden, which made a better offer than the US administration, was the country that won this tender.

Philippine Air Force Commander Stephen Parreño led the delegation during a visit to Sweden last May 24-28. Parreño visited Saab facilities to learn about Swedish-made JAS-39 warplanes and Saab 340 aircraft.

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