Saab Opens First Gripen E Production Line Outside Sweden

Dark/Light Mode (10/05/23)  Saab opened the first Gripen E production line outside of Sweden on Tuesday.

The final assembly line is located in Brazil at Embraer's plant in Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo which is also home to the Gripen Design and Development Network (GDDN), Gripen Flight Test Center (GFTC), as well as the development, production and testing stages of the aircraft.

Since the signing of a contract to supply 36 fighter jets - Gripen E (single seat) and eight Gripen F (twin-seat) - to the Brazilian Air Force in 2014, Embraer and Saab have been working together on the largest ongoing technology transfer project in the country.

With the recent signing of a MOU between the companies, the production line has also become an opportunity for new business.

Saab's Gripen E production line at Embraer's plant in Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo, Brazil

“The start of production of the F-39 Gripen aircraft in Brazil symbolizes the achievement of an ambitious project that translates itself into technology transfer, job creation and the consequent development of Brazil's aerospace sector,” said the Brazilian Air Force Commander, Lieutenant-Brigadier Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno. “Thanks to a solid partnership between the Air Force, Saab and Embraer, we are now part of the select group of countries that have the capability to build supersonic aircraft. Congratulations to all involved!”

The production line at Embraer receives the aerostructures produced at Saab plants in Linköping (Sweden) and São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil.

On the assembly line the fighter aircraft will be produced by joining the aerostructures and installing the cabling, various systems, landing gear, avionics, tactical equipment, canopy, ejection seat and engine.

Once a Gripen is complete, functional tests and production flights are carried out to prepare the aircraft for final delivery.

The Embraer plant will be responsible for producing 15 Gripen E fighters with units assembled in Brazil scheduled for delivery from 2025.

“The start of operations of the Gripen production line marks our commitment to transfer technology and knowledge to Brazilian industry. Here, we will produce 15 of the 36 aircraft currently contracted to the Brazilian Air Force. The aim is also to produce here any future Gripen orders from Brazil as well as other countries. We want Brazil to become an export hub to Latin America and potentially other regions,” said Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab.

To acquire the necessary skills for the production of supersonic fighter jets in Brazil, Embraer technicians carried out theoretical and practical on-the-job training at Saab in Linköping. There they worked side by side with Swedish employees to produce the aircraft that have already been shipped to Brazil.

“We celebrate not only the inauguration of the Gripen fighter production line, but the success of the collaboration between Saab and Embraer, which grows stronger every day with the common goal of serving our client, the Brazilian Air Force,” said Bosco da Costa Junior, President and CEO, Embraer Defense & Security. “Since the beginning, Embraer has played a relevant role in the Gripen program, participating, for instance, in the development of the Brazilian version of the twin-seat aircraft. As a natural evolution of this relationship, we hope that soon we can together expand our business into new markets.”

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