GAVIÃO PEIXOTO, Brazil --- On Tuesday (May 9), the Minister of Defense, José Mucio, accompanied President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the inauguration ceremony of the F-39 Gripen manufacturing line, at Embraer, in Gavião Peixoto (SP).
The strategic defense project, known as F-X2, is a partnership between the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) and the Swedish company SAAB for the acquisition of 36 aircraft, which will expand the country's air defense capacity. Equipment development - around BRL 19 billion ($3.8 billion—Ed) (contract total, conversion into current exchange rate) - leverages the national defense industry, through a technology transfer program, promotes greater technological autonomy and generates around 13,000 direct jobs and indirect.
Minister José Mucio highlighted the Defense work in favor of the Brazilian industrial park and Brazil's position in the development of equipment of this nature. "This partnership also provides Brazil with the necessary transfer of state-of-the-art technology, allowing, today, the inauguration of an aircraft production line on national soil. I emphasize that few countries in the world have this capacity". He also emphasized the folder's responsibility and compatibility with the size of the country. "The acquisition of Gripen fighters brings to the Air Force, in particular, and to Brazil, in the broadest sense, the acquisition of new horizons in the capacity to provide an air defense compatible with the continental dimensions of Brazil".
Before the ceremony, the entourage visited the aircraft's assembly line, where 15 of the 36 units acquired by the FAB will be assembled. On the spot, President Lula unveiled the sector's inauguration plaque. During the ceremony, an institutional video was shown about the partnership and the benefits of the Gripen Program for Brazilian industry, in addition to Embraer's fundamental role in the production of the equipment. Brazilian and Swedish officials made speeches, emphasizing the pride of cooperation between the two countries.
Um novo marco para o #ProgramaGripenBrasileiro. 🚀
Foi inaugurada a linha de produção do #Gripen na fábrica da @embraer em Gavião Peixoto (SP).Veja algumas fotos da cerimônia de inauguração e acesse o link para saber mais: https://t.co/ZPIbZbofFu
#Aviação #Embraer pic.twitter.com/q0ukQpOzth
— Saab Brasil (@saabdobrasil) May 9, 2023
The Air Force Commander, Lieutenant-Brigadier Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno, spoke about the relevance of the historical milestone reached, for the Force and for the State. "I proudly recognize that this fruitful partnership has positioned the FAB on a new technological level, as well as that, from the healthy cooperation between Saab and Embraer, it will certainly be possible for Brazil to become a hub for exporting supersonic fighter jets to other countries. ".
Also present were the Minister of Labor and Employment, Luiz Marinho; the Minister of Science, Technology, Innovation, Luciana Santos; the Chief Minister of the Institutional Security Office of the Presidency of the Republic, Army General R/1 Marcos Antônio Amaro dos Santos; the Chief Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, Márcio Costa Macêdo; Sweden's Minister for Civil Defense, Carl-Oskar Bohlin; the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, Admiral Renato Rodrigues Aguiar Freire; the General Secretary of the MD, Luiz Henrique Pochyly da Costa; the President of Embraer Defense and Security, João Bosco da Costa Junior; and Saab President Micael Johansson; among other civil and military authorities.
F-X2 Project
The F-X2 project was born out of the need to re-equip the Air Force with new fighter jets, to replace the old F-2000 (already decommissioned) and the F-5 and A-1 models. In 2014, a contract was signed between the FAB and the company SAAB for the acquisition of 36 F-39 Gripen, of which 28 were single-seat units (one seat) and eight were two-seat units (two seats). So far, six units have been received and four are already in operation, at the First Air Defense Group (1st GDA), at Anápolis Air Base, in Goiás. The last two units arrived in Brazil on Friday (05), at the Port of Navegantes (SC).
Known for its high efficiency, low operating costs, high availability and advanced technological capabilities, the F-39 Gripen is a state-of-the-art fighter that will meet the operational needs of the FAB for 30 years. The aircraft is capable of performing air defense, attack and reconnaissance missions, such as airspace policing in critical regions. Equipped with radar, infrared sensor and air-to-air missiles, with BVR (Beyond Visual Range) and WVR (Within Visual Range) capabilities, the Gripen is a highly lethal weapon system against possible air threats.
Defense Industry
The Defense Industrial Base (BID) participates in the project with qualified companies that were included in the compensation package negotiated by the Coordinating Committee of the Combat Aircraft Program (COPAC-FAB). Among other processes, BID is present in the development of structures, systems and avionics. The technology transfer program is composed of around 60 key projects. The most significant is the Gripen Design and Development Network (GDDN), located at Embraer's industrial plant, in Gavião Peixoto (SP).
At the Brazilian factory, 15 of the 36 units of the plane will be produced by Brazilian engineers and technicians who underwent theoretical and practical training at the headquarters of the Swedish Saab, in Linköping. The forecast is that the last fighter will be delivered in 2027.
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