Calay News
Embraer, the Brazilian aeronautics company, and Saab, the Swedish defense and aviation company, recently inaugurated a Gripen fighter assembly plant in Brazil, representing an important milestone in the technology transfer program to the South American country, Saab announced.
The plant is located in the municipality of Gaviao Peixoto, in the state of Sao Paulo, and the inauguration ceremony was attended by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. This plant is the only Gripen fighter assembly facility outside Sweden and the first in Latin America that will carry out the entire process of building supersonic fighter aircraft, including design, development, and flight testing.
Saab CEO Micael Johansson said that the start of Gripen production in Brazil demonstrates the commitment to transfer technology and know-how to Brazilian industry. The plant is expected to produce 15 of the 36 aircraft currently contracted by the Brazilian Air Force, with the intention of turning Brazil into an export hub for Latin America and potentially other regions.
In 2014, Brazil signed an agreement with Saab for the acquisition of 36 Gripen fighters, including the Gripen E and Gripen F. Embraer’s Gaviao Peixoto plant, which received the necessary technology and technician training from Saab, will be responsible for the production of the fifteen Gripen E fighters (F-39E according to the Brazilian designation), which are expected to be delivered starting in 2025.
The commander of the Brazilian Air Force, Marcelo Kanitz, highlighted that the start of production of the F-39 Gripen aircraft in Brazil represents the culmination of an ambitious project involving technology transfer, job creation, and the development of the Brazilian aerospace sector. This achievement positions Brazil as one of the few countries capable of building supersonic aircraft.
The inauguration of the Gripen fighter assembly plant in Brazil marks an important step in the collaboration between Embraer and Saab and represents a significant advance for the Brazilian aerospace industry while reinforcing the country’s capacity to produce and export advanced combat aircraft.
