First Embraer-Built Gripen E Makes Maiden Flight in Brazil

The first Gripen E fighter assembled by Embraer in Brazil has made its maiden flight, the first Gripen built outside Sweden to take to the air. Saab said the flight took place at Embraer’s Gavião Peixoto aerodrome in São Paulo State, with press releases dated 6 and 7 October 2026.

The flight

Saab chief test pilot Jakob Högberg flew the aircraft. Marcus Wandt, head of Saab Aeronautics, said the flight showed that Gripen production in Brazil had reached a new level of maturity.

After production acceptance flights and certification, the aircraft will be delivered to the First Air Defence Group at Anápolis Air Base in Goiás State, where other Brazilian Gripen Es are already based. Brazil designates the type F-39.

Programme status

Brazil ordered 36 aircraft: 28 single-seat Gripen Es and eight two-seat Gripen Fs. Ten Gripens are already operating with the Brazilian Air Force, according to Saab. The Gavião Peixoto line, which unveiled its first locally assembled aircraft on 25 March 2026, is the only Gripen assembly line outside Sweden.

Saab’s release refers to 15 aircraft to be produced in Brazil under the current programme, while other reporting describes the production work in terms of the wider 36-jet order. Aircraft built in Sweden and Brazil are being delivered in parallel.

Technology transfer

The programme pairs aircraft delivery with technology transfer and local industrial participation. Brazilian engineers, technicians and specialists work alongside Saab teams, and the intention is to build permanent aerospace capability in the country rather than a one-off assembly job. Embraer, better known for airliners and the C-390 transport, gains experience in fighter final assembly and testing.

In July 2026 Embraer and Saab announced that they could assemble a further 20 aircraft at Gavião Peixoto for domestic and international customers, subject to contract negotiations. The first locally built jet’s flight lends weight to that offer, since it demonstrates that the production line can deliver flying aircraft to the same standard as the Swedish line.

Why it matters

For Saab, a Brazilian line is a marketing asset as it competes for fighter orders in Latin America and elsewhere, because it can offer customers local assembly and workshare. For Brazil, the flight is a visible milestone in the fighter programme. The next steps are acceptance testing, delivery to Anápolis and continued build-up of the squadron, followed by decisions on whether Gavião Peixoto will receive additional export work.