Swedish corporation Saab announced the serial production of the Gripen E fighter on Wednesday, presenting six aircraft to be delivered to the Brazilian and Swedish air forces.
Four aircraft will be delivered to Brazil and two to the Swedish, the company revealed.
Brazilian Air Force to Receive 36
The Brazilian Air Force selected Saab Gripen in 2013 as the winner of the F-X2 Programme competition to replace their aging Mirage III aircraft, beating out Dassault’s Rafale and the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
A year later, a deal was signed to acquire 36 Gripen E and F aircraft (single-seat and twin-seat, respectively) for the air force. Under the contract, the aircraft are to be delivered between 2019 and 2024.
Commander of the Brazilian Air Force General Carlos de Almeida Baptista Junior said at the aircraft presentation ceremony, “It is a pleasure to follow the fulfilment of yet another step in the delivery process of the F-39 (E) Gripen aircraft, which will lead the evolution of the Brazilian Air Force’s combat capability.”
Swedish Air Force to Receive 60
Meanwhile, the Swedish government approved a deal in 2014 to procure 60 Saab 39Es aircraft to be delivered between 2018 and 2027.
Commander of the Swedish Air Force Major General Carl-Johan Edström said that the “deliveries form an important part of strengthening our capabilities and defending Sweden.”
“JAS 39 E Gripen will increase Sweden’s defence capability, allowing us to build a stronger and tactically superior Air Force for every situation.”
Features
The E is the latest iteration of the Gripen aircraft, “developed to counter and defeat advanced future threats,” the manufacturer states. According to Air Force Technology, the aircraft features Selex’s ES-05 Raven active electronically scanned array radar and Skyward G InfraRed Search and Track System, also supplied by Selex.
It carries a range of weapons such as the infrared-guided short-range IRIS-T missile and the beyond visual range Meteor air-to-air missile, the outlet added.
The 15.2-meter (50-foot) long and 8.6-meter (28-foot) wide aircraft generates a thrust of 98 KiloNewtons. The fighter has 10 hardpoints and a maximum takeoff weight of 16,500 kg (36,376 lbs) and a top speed of Mach II.