Brazilian Gripen passes local production milestone
Brazilian factory Saab Aeronáutica Montagens (SAM) has begun production of the Gripen E/F fighter for the Brazilian Air Force.
‘The tail cone and front fuselage of the single-seat version of the Gripen fighter are the first aerostructures to enter into production at SAM,’ Saab announced on 7 July. ‘Subsequently, the aerodynamic brakes, rear fuselage, wing box and front fuselage for the two-seater version will also be manufactured at SAM.’
The Brazilian-made Gripen sections will be delivered to final assembly facilities run by Embraer in Brazil and by Saab in Sweden.
In 2014, Saab signed a contract with Brazilian government for the development and production of 36 Gripen E/F aircraft. In September 2019, the first Brazilian Gripen E aircraft was delivered to start the flight test programme.
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