Acquisition Program Bears Fruit for Swedish/Brazilian Endeavor

The Gripen E has entered service with the Brazilian Air Force, ringing in its time with a ceremony at the Anápolis Air Base.

The F-39 Gripen, as designated in Brazil, will be flown by the First Air Defense Group. To kick off its time as the Brazilian fighter of choice, a pair of Gripens made a presentation flight under the command of pilots Lieutenant Colonel Gustavo Pascotto, the Group commander, and Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Lincoln Santos Fórneas. As a part of the acquisition deal with SAAB, the Brazilian pilots carried out their training with Gripen E in Sweden. To prepare for the ceremony, the pair practiced their flight on Gripen simulators provided to Anápolis Air Base. The aircraft entered service 2 years after its flight testing routine, completed at the Gripen Flight Test Center located at the Embraer plant in Gavião Peixoto, Brazil. The Gripen program has been lauded by both Swedish and Brazilian authorities for the quick-moving synergy found throughout the acquisition process..

"The start of operational activities with Gripen E by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) is an extremely important day. It marks the beginning of a new operational era for FAB but also is the result of years of hard work done in partnership with the Air Force and with our Brazilian industry partners: Embraer, AEL Sistemas, Akaer, Atech, and our own subsidiaries in Brazil,” said Saab CEO Micael Johansson.

“Brazil now has one of the most advanced fighters in the world. This is currently the most extensive ongoing technology transfer program in Brazil and it is definitely the largest one ever done by any Swedish company, bringing to the Brazilian defense industry the knowledge to develop, produce, test and maintain an advanced supersonic fighter. We are very proud to be a strategic partner to Brazil," concluded Johansson.

FMI: www.saab.com