First Embraer-built Gripen E fighter makes maiden flight ahead of further testing and delivery to the Brazilian Air Force – Defence Industry Europe

First Embraer-built Gripen E fighter makes maiden flight ahead of further testing and delivery to the Brazilian Air Force  Defence Industry Europe

The first Gripen E fighter produced in Brazil by Embraer has completed its maiden flight from the company’s Gavião Peixoto industrial complex in São Paulo State. The first Gripen E fighter produced in Brazil by Embraer has completed its maiden flight from the company’s Gavião Peixoto industrial complex in São Paulo State. The flight tested the aircraft’s main systems and flight characteristics ahead of further testing and acceptance for delivery to the Brazilian Air Force. A Saab test pilot conducted the flight, with Embraer playing a central role in its planning and execution. The companies said the aircraft performed as expected and generated data for the continuing production flight-test and acceptance campaign.

The fighter is the first of 15 aircraft planned for production in Brazil under the current programme and was unveiled on 25 March after final assembly. Gavião Peixoto hosts the only Gripen production line outside Sweden and forms part of Saab’s global manufacturing and supply network. “This first flight of a Gripen E produced in Brazil by Embraer is a historic milestone for the country’s aerospace and defense industry,” said Bosco da Costa Junior, president and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security. “It confirms the success of a long-term strategy that combined the vision of the Brazilian Air Force, Saab’s technological expertise and Embraer’s engineering and industrial capabilities.”