The first Gripen E fighter aircraft produced in Brazil at Embraer’s facilities has successfully completed its maiden flight, Embraer and Saab announced on October 7. The aircraft took off from the Gavião Peixoto industrial complex in São Paulo State, with the flight assessing its main systems and flight characteristics.

A Saab test pilot flew the aircraft, while Embraer participated in planning and conducting the flight. According to the statement, the aircraft performed as expected, and the data collected will support further flight testing and the acceptance process ahead of delivery to the Brazilian Air Force.

The aircraft is the first of 15 Gripens scheduled for production in Brazil under the current program. It was officially unveiled on March 25 following final assembly at Embraer’s facility. Gavião Peixoto is the only Gripen production site outside Sweden and forms part of Saab’s global manufacturing and supply network.

Brazilian production is the result of more than a decade of cooperation encompassing technology transfer and the development of domestic industrial capabilities alongside aircraft procurement. Brazilian engineers, technicians and other specialists work with Saab teams on development, manufacturing, systems integration and flight testing. The maiden flight of the locally produced aircraft therefore also demonstrates the capabilities established through the program.

Bosco da Costa Junior, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security, described the event as a historic milestone for Brazil’s aerospace and defense industry, emphasizing that the expertise developed over the years has become proven industrial capability. Marcus Wandt, Head of Saab’s Business Area Aeronautics, said the maiden flight demonstrated a new level of maturity in Brazilian Gripen production and highlighted the importance of cooperation with Embraer for the program’s continued development.

Once flight testing and the acceptance process are completed, the aircraft will be prepared for delivery to the Brazilian Air Force. It will then be transferred to Anápolis Air Base in Goiás State, joining the First Air Defense Group, which already operates the Gripen E.

The contract signed by the Brazilian government in 2014 covers the development and production of 36 Gripen aircraft: 28 single-seat Gripen Es and eight two-seat Gripen Fs. According to the statement, deliveries began in 2020, and ten aircraft have been delivered to the Brazilian Air Force to date.

Embraer and Saab are also considering expanding production in Brazil. On July 21, the companies announced the signing of a Heads of Agreement providing a framework for continued negotiations on the potential production of 20 additional Gripens in Gavião Peixoto, with scope for further expansion. This production would serve potential domestic and export opportunities, although it does not yet constitute a firm order. The expansion would enable the Brazilian facility to provide additional support to Saab’s final assembly line in Linköping, Sweden.