: Jul 7, 2020 -
: 1:29 pm
Saab’s first aerostructures plant outside of Sweden for the new Gripen E/F fighter has commenced production in Brazil in São Bernardo do Campo, a city in the metropolitan area of São Paulo.
Saab Aeronáutica Montagens (SAM) is now building the tail cone and front fuselage of the single-seat version of the Gripen fighter.
These are the first aerostructures to enter into production at SAM and the parts will then be delivered to the final assembly facilities at the Embraer plant in Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo, Brazil and to Linköping, Sweden.
Subsequently, the aerodynamic brakes, rear fuselage, wing box and front fuselage for the two-seater version will also be manufactured at SAM.
“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,” says Jonas Hjelm, head of Saab’s business area Aeronautics.
Saab signed a contract with Brazilian government in 2014 for the development and production of 36 Gripen E/F aircraft.
The first Brazilian Gripen E aircraft was delivered in September 2019, to start the flight test programme.
Currently, SAM has more than 70 highly qualified employees, half of whom are participating or have already participated in the ToT Programme in Sweden. Part of these employees have already completed the training and returned to initiate the production in Brazil.
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