Saab to deliver first Gripen fighter assembled in Brazil in November
The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) will take delivery of its first F-39E Gripen fighter jet assembled in Brazil in November, said the service’s Commander, Lieutenant-Brigadier Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno, on May 5.
The statement was made during a meeting with businessmen in Sao Paulo, also attended by representatives of the Army, Navy and the country’s Minister of Defense.
“In May 2023, we inaugurated the first assembly line for a supersonic aircraft in the southern hemisphere and in Latin America, and this year, in November, we will receive the first Gripen produced in our country,” said Damasceno during a brief speech.
The first Saab aircraft is being assembled at Embraer’s facilities in Gaviao Peixoto, the same location where the KC-390 Millennium multirole aircraft are produced.
The Brazilian Air Force acquired 36 Gripen E/F fighters in 2014 and 15 of them will be assembled in Brazil as part of the technology transfer agreement reached with Sweden.
Possible supply to Colombia
The contract also includes the supply of aerostructures and equipment produced in the South American country, including a subsidiary of Saab itself.
To date, eight F-39Es have been delivered, all manufactured in Europe and sent to Brazil by ship. The aircraft are based at the Anapolis Air Base, which is close to the country’s capital.
Brazil is also the only customer for the Gripen F, a two-seat version of the supersonic jet, and has not yet completed any aircraft.
The Brazilian assembly line could be given a new task if Colombia signs a contract with Saab to order the Gripen. It is understood that the Swedish company could use the facilities to support the production of Colombian fighter jets.
About the Author
Ricardo Meier
Creator of the website that started in 1996 as a magazine. He also writes on Brazilian websites AUTOO, MOTOO and MetrôCPTM.
