DefenseSwedish Defense Minister and FAB Commander Discuss Gripen and KC-390 Programs
The Swedish Minister of Defense, Pål Jonson, and the Commander of the Brazilian Air Force, Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno, met from September 15 to 17 in Stockholm to discuss advancements in bilateral defense cooperation, which involves military aircraft and industrial production.
During the meeting, the authorities reaffirmed their commitment to expand the partnership initiated in 2014 between the Brazilian Air Force and SAAB, responsible for supplying 36 Gripen F-39E/F fighters.
Ten units of the Gripen have already been integrated into the Brazilian fleet, with part of the production carried out at Embraer’s facility in Gavião Peixoto, inaugurated in May 2023.
“The strategic cooperation between Sweden and Brazil is important for both our countries, not least through Sweden’s purchase of transport aircraft and local production of Gripen fighter aircraft in Brazil,” Jonson said.
In addition to the delivery of the fighters, Brazil and Sweden discussed possible modifications to the FX-2 project contract to expand aircraft for the Brazilian Air Force. The program includes technology transfer and local assembly, strengthening the national aerospace sector.
Cooperation reached a new stage with Sweden’s acquisition of four Embraer C-390 Millennium aircraft, replacing the C-130, enhancing the presence of the model in the international market. The bilateral agreement was also reinforced with the entry into force, on September 16, of the Protocol on the Control of Defense Products Exports.
Representatives from both countries highlighted the role of the High-Level Group in Aeronautics, established in 2015, in monitoring joint projects. Damasceno’s visit to Sweden includes an inspection of the Gripen production facilities on Wednesday.
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