Brasilia, 15 May. Brazilian aeronautics company (Embraer) and Swedish defense and aviation company Saab inaugurated Gripen fighter assembly plant in Brazil, marking an “important milestone in a technology transfer program” to the South American country. company.
The facilities are located in the municipality of Gavião Peixoto in São Paulo state, and the opening ceremony was attended by the country’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. It is the only Gripen fighter assembly plant outside Sweden and the first in Latin America to carry out the entire manufacturing process of supersonic fighters, including the design, development and flight test phases.
“The start of operations of the Gripen production line marks our commitment to transfer technology and know-how to Brazilian industry. Here we will produce 15 of the 36 aircraft currently contracted by the Brazilian Air Force. The goal is to produce Gripen here in the future. Saab Chief Executive Michael Johansson said, “Orders have been placed by Brazil and other countries. We want Brazil to become an export hub for Latin America and potentially other regions.”
Brazil signed a deal with the Swedish company in 2014 to buy 36 fighters: 28 of the Gripen E model and eight of the Gripen F. , will be responsible for the production of fifteen Gripen E fighters (F-39E according to the Brazilian designation), which are expected to be delivered from 2025.
“The start of production of the F-39 Gripen aircraft in Brazil marks the achievement of an ambitious project that translates into technology transfer, job creation and the resulting growth of the Brazilian aerospace sector. […], We are now part of a select group of countries that have the capability to build a supersonic aircraft,” said Marcelo Kanitz, commander of the Brazilian Air Force.
