RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – After flying over Brasília last Friday, October 23rd, the new F-39E fighter jet from the Swedish manufacturer Saab was presented to authorities yesterday evening at the Brasília Air Force Base. President Jair Bolsonaro and the Chamber of Deputies president Rodrigo Maia attended the event but did not speak to the press.
Vice-President Hamilton Mourão, government Ministers, and the three Armed Forces Commanders also attended the presentation. The Swedish Ambassador to Brazil, Johanna Brismar Skoog, took part in the event.
The aircraft presented is the first of 36 fighters to be delivered to the Brazilian Air Force by 2024. The first 13 are being manufactured in Sweden, eight will start production in Sweden and complete it in Brazil. The last 15 fighters will be entirely manufactured at the Gripen Project and Development Center at an EMBRAER facility in Gavião Peixoto (São Paulo).
According to the Air Force Commander, Air Brigadier Antonio Carlos Bermudes, the selection of Gripen fighters was based on the best cost-benefit ratio, since they are cheaper than their competitors and involve unrestricted access to armaments and transfer of technology and knowledge to Brazil.
“We praise the mutual respect between Brazil and Sweden, friendly nations that have established mutual interest in maintaining an industrial and technological partnership in defense that will contribute to the strengthening of a policy of strategic alliances to enable a modern, versatile and innovative project,” said Bermudes.
Saab CEO Micael Johansson said he considers Brazil a strategic market for the company because, in the future, Brazilian industry will be able to sell aircraft to other countries. He pointed out that the agreement with Brazil was Saab’s greatest effort in transferring technology to another country.
“It is an important cooperation. We are not only talking about delivering 36 aircraft to Brazil but a cooperation between industries, between Air Forces and countries, to strengthen the partnership between Brazil and Sweden for a long time to come. I can guarantee that, as a country, our commitment to this program is long lasting,” he said.
Aircraft
Each aircraft takes two years to be produced, with distinct assembly lines in Sweden and Brazil. The configurations will be distinct because Brazilian fighters will feature different equipment from Swedish fighters. All 36 units will be based at the Anápolis Air Base (Goiás).
Developed jointly by Saab and EMBRAER, the Gripen F-39E features two seats, to allow training missions of greater complexity that require a second pilot. Capable of reaching twice the speed of sound and withstanding up to nine times the gravity force during maneuvers, the aircraft will be able to perform air defense, attack, and reconnaissance missions on the same flight, with no need to return to base.
With a length of 14.1 meters and a width of 8.6 meters, the Gripen Brazilian model will be able to fly the 4,387 kilometers that separate Monte Caburaí (Roraima) and Arroio Chui (Rio Grande do Sul), respectively the northern and southern extremes of Brazil, with no need for refueling.
Cutting-edge radar will enable airspace monitoring and border defense, allowing attacks on air, sea, and land targets 24 hours a day, under any weather conditions. Each aircraft holds 6.5 tons of armaments.
History
The process of replacing the current F35 fighters began in 2010, with research and a tender to choose the aircraft. Saab was chosen in December 2013.
In October 2015, the first group of over 350 EMBRAER, AEL Sistemas, Akaer, Atech, Saab Aeronautics Assemblies, and Saab Sensors and Services from Brazil engineers and technicians began training in Sweden. Back in Brazil, the majority of the team worked jointly in Gavião Peixoto.
Source: Agência Brasil