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Brazil receives two more Gripen fighters

Brazilian Air Force Gripen
Photo: Saab

The Brazilian Air Force has taken delivery of an additional two F-39E Gripen fighters from Swedish defense company Saab.

The airframes were unloaded in Navegantes on April 2 and transferred to Embraer’s facilities where they will be prepared for delivery to the air force.

Brazilian Air Force’s 1°GDA (1st Air Defence Group) will operate the fighters out of Anápolis, State of Goiás.

Saab’s delivery of the two new airframes follows the official hand-over of the first four series-production aircraft to Brazil in November last year.

Commenting on the start of the serial delivery phase for the Brazilian Air Force, Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab, said the milestone was an “extremely important achievement for the Gripen program.”

With this latest delivery, the Brazilian Air Force’s Gripen fleet grows to seven airframes. It should be noted that prior to the serially-built aircraft, the country received one F-39E flight test instrumentation (FTI) airframe that was tested in both Sweden and in Brazil.

In total, Brazil is buying 36 Gripen E and F models under a contract from 2014. While Gripen E deliveries began in 2021, dual-seat F-39Fs are set to begin arriving in 2023.

Brazil expects to receives the final Gripen in 2026.

Photo: Saab