Embraer, Saab inaugurate Gripen production line in Brazil, marking significant milestone in partnership

Brazil’s Embraer and Saab have opened a production line for the Gripen E fighter jet in the former company’s home country.

The line at Embraer’s plant in Gavião Peixoto marks an important milestone in the companies' technology transfer programme and commitment to exploring new business opportunities.

The inauguration of the production line comes just a month after the companies announced they had signed an MoU to deepen collaboration on the JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet.

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Since signing a contract to supply 36 Gripen fighters (28 Gripen E single-seaters and eight Gripen F twin-seaters) to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) in 2014, Embraer and Saab have worked together on the largest ongoing technology transfer project in Brazil.

The final assembly line at Gavião Peixoto, the only Gripen E production line outside Sweden, is home to the aircraft's development, production and testing stages.

Brazilian industry is responsible for 15 of the 36 Gripen fighters contracted for the FAB, aiming to produce any future Gripen orders from Brazil and other countries. Micael Johansson, president and CEO of Saab, said the goal was to make Brazil an export hub to Latin America and potentially other regions.

President and CEO of Embraer Defense and Security Bosco da Costa Junior said the collaboration between the two companies was ‘growing stronger every day’ with a common goal of serving the FAB.

Units assembled in Brazil will be delivered from 2025, with the assembly line receiving the aerostructures produced at Saab's plants in Linköping, Sweden, and São Bernardo do Campo in Brazil.

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

Embraer technicians have undergone theoretical and practical training at Saab to acquire the necessary skills to produce supersonic fighter jets in Brazil. They worked alongside Swedish employees to produce the aircraft already shipped to Brazil.

With the signing of an MoU between the two companies, the production line is set to boost both the Brazilian and Swedish economies.

The partnership announced between Embraer and Saab in April also seeks to explore ways to offer the Brazilian company’s C-390 airlifter to the Swedish Air Force.

Related Equipment in Defence Insight

JAS 39E/F Gripen