Initial negotiations between Colombia, France's Dassault Aviation and Sweden's Saab AB to replace part of the South American country's aging air force fleet have collapsed, the defense minister said on Monday.
Colombia, which uses about 20 Israeli-made Kfir aircraft purchased three decades ago, has said replacing the planes is a priority so it can continue to defend its territory, fight organized crime and conduct aerial surveillance.
"Unfortunately in the pre-negotiations that took place at the end of (last) year, we did not manage to confirm with the French or with the Swedish," Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez told local radio, adding the $678 million spending approval for the planes has expired.
