Brazilian Gripen E fighter to undergo flight tests
NewsSeptember 13, 2019
SWEDEN. Saab has delivered the first Brazilian Gripen E aircraft to start the initial flight test program in Sweden. The test flights will be performed in Sweden until the end of 2020, when the aircraft will move to Brazil to continue testing, a Saab statement said. Deliveries to the Brazilian Air Force will also begin in 2021.
The company announced two years ago it was developing the Gripen fighters as its first aircraft for Brazil's Air Force. The Gripen fighter is a multi-role aircraft that can be armed with air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons, and can also support intelligence gathering operations.
The partnership with Brazil started in 2014 with a $4.6 billion contract for development and production of 36 Gripen E/F for the Brazilian air force, including related systems, support and equipment. The contract went into effect the next year.
Saab is driving development with national partners that includes transfer of a technology program to Brazil, which will be delivered in approximately 10 years.
