Saab has begun production of the first Gripen E/F parts in Brazil, the company announced on 7 July.
Brazil has ordered 28 Gripen Es and eight twin-seat Gripen Fs to be delivered between 2019 and 2024. (Saab)
Production of sections of the Gripen E/F aircraft has commenced at the Saab Aeronáutica Montagens (SAM) sub-assembly plant at São Bernardo do Campo near São Paulo, ahead of final assembly at the Embraer plant in Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo, and at Saab’s Linköping facility in Sweden.
“This is another outcome of the transfer of technology of the Gripen programme,” the head of Saab’s Aeronautics division was quoted as saying. “Based on theoretical and practical on-the-job training of Brazilian engineers and assemblers at Saab in Linköping, we were able to establish a highly qualified production line at SAM, following the same standards that we have in our factory in Sweden.”
As noted by Saab, a contract with the Brazilian government for the development and production of 36 Gripen E/F aircraft was signed in 2014. In September 2019, the first Brazilian Gripen E aircraft was delivered to the flight test programme.
With this latest milestone for the Gripen E/F programme in general and for the Brazilian programme in particular, the SAM plant has begun work on the first tail cone and front fuselage sections of the single-seat version Gripen E. The aerodynamic brakes, rear fuselage, wing box and front fuselage for the two-seater Gripen F will also be manufactured at the facility.
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