Brazil’s Gripens and KC-390s

The first of 36 Saab JAS 39E Gripen ighters for the Força Aerea Brasileira (Brazilian Air Force) will be delivered in 2019 and used for flight testing. Eleven aircraft will follow in 2021, eight in 2022, seven in 2023 and eight in 2024. The first 13 will be built by Saab in Sweden, the remainder by Embraer in Brazil.

Delivery scheduling details have also been released for Brazil’s KC-390 tanker/transport. The first production aircraft, serial number 004, will be delivered in 2019. Following that, the KC-390’s annual production rate will be three aircraft in 2019-2023, ive in 2024-2025 and two in 2026. Deliveries were expected to begin later this year but an accident involving aircraft 001 in May has led to aircraft 003 being transferred to test duties rather than to the Air Force. It was to have been the first jet to be delivered.