Saab celebrated the first year of operation of the Gripen fighter assembly line in Brazil. In a short text, the Swedish company recalled that this was one of the stages of the transfer program established with the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) within the agreement to sell 36 aircraft.
After a contractual change, the assembly line established at Embraer’s facilities in Gavião Peixoto was responsible for carrying out the final assembly of 15 Gripen E single-seat fighters. Previously, Brazil would be responsible for assembling eight two-seat Gripen F, but they will be finalized in Sweden.
“The production line, which is the only Gripen E production line outside of Sweden and the first to produce supersonic fighters in Latin America, is responsible for manufacturing 15 units of Brazilian Air Force fighters and will also be able to meet any future orders for Brazil or region,” Saab’s Facebook post said.
Aircraft in a similar stage to that seen at the factory inauguration
The Swedish company’s post brought one of the 15 partially assembled Gripen fighters, in an apparently slightly more advanced stage than the aircraft that was on site a year ago, during the inauguration ceremony.
To date, the FAB has received seven F-39Es, as they are designated in the country, and which operate from Anápolis Air Base. There is an eighth Gripen (FAB 4100) that has been used by Saab and Embraer for testing.
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According to Saab, the first Brazilian Gripen fighters will be delivered from 2025. Although most of the components are still sent from the headquarters in Sweden, there are also suppliers in Brazil, in addition to Saab’s own aerostructures unit.
The partnership between Saab and Embraer aims to establish Brazil as a potential producer of Gripen fighters for customers in the region. One of them could be Colombia, whose air force is looking for a replacement for the IAI Kfir fighters.
