Saab announced that parts production of its Gripen E/F multi-role fighter has started at its new sub-assembly facility in São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, on July 7.
Saab Aeronáutica Montagens (SAM) is the company’s first aerostructures plant outside of Sweden for the Gripen E/F. It will produce sections of the multi-role fighter and deliver them to the platform’s final assembly lines at Saab’s plant in Linköping, Sweden, and Embraer’s facility in Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo, Brazil.
![Brazilian Gripen E [Saab/Linus Svensson] #1](/sites/keyaero/files/inline-images/First%20Brazilian%20Gripen%20E.jpg)
The facility will manufacture the front fuselage and tail cone of the single-seat Gripen E and the aerodynamic brakes, rear fuselage, wing box and front fuselage for the two-seat Gripen F.
Jonas Hjelm, head of Saab’s Aeronautics division, said: “This is another outcome of the transfer of technology (ToT) of the Gripen programme. Based on theoretical and practical on-the-job training of Brazilian engineers and assemblers at Saab in Linköping, we were able to establish a highly qualified production line at SAM, following the same standards that we have in our factory in Sweden.”
In October 2014, the Brazilian government signed a contract with Saab for the development and production of 28 Gripen Es and 8 Gripen Fs for operation by the Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB. Brazilian Air Force). Brazil’s first Gripen E was delivered to the flight test programme last September.
