Embraer prepares launch of Brazil’s first supersonic plane

Embraer, in partnership with the Swedish Saab, is finalizing the assembly of the first Brazilian supersonic combat aircraft, the F-39 Gripen.

The inaugural flight is scheduled for 2025, marking a significant advance for Brazil’s defense industry. Production takes place in Gavião PeixotoSão Paulo, where the final phase of assembly has already begun.

The F-39 Gripen is the result of a collaboration between Saab e Embraerinitiated after Brazil closed an agreement with Saab in 2013 to acquire 36 fighters, requiring the transfer of technology and the manufacture of 15 of these aircraft in the national territory. This agreement opened doors for 350 Embraer professionals were trained in Sweden.

The Brazilian production line, in addition to serving the needs of the Brazilian Air Forces, is also aimed at potential buyers in Latin America.

“With the current structure, there are possibilities to increase production if there is a new order from Brazil, or other countries,” he said. Häns Sjöblomgeneral manager of the Gavião Peixoto plant, in a press release.

The Brazilian Gripen, which is being assembled under strict security measures, incorporates advanced technology with around 35 kilometers of cables and 300 kilometers of pipes that make up your “nervous system“.

In addition to production, the fighters undergo rigorous tests to adapt them to the tropical climate, essential to guarantee their operability in conditions of high temperature and humidity.

Recently, an F-39 test fighter underwent trials in Belém, Amazonia, including tests in extreme weather conditions.

This development not only reinforces national defense capacity, but also puts Brazil closer to joining the select group of countries capable of producing supersonic fighters.

Technology transfer as part of the agreement was a decisive factor for Brazil, which chose Gripen after comparisons with other international offers.

The geopolitical context also influenced purchasing decisions, as revealed by the former president Dilma Rousseffwhich finalized the purchase of the Gripen in 2013, after 18 years of discussions.

The decision came after an incident of US espionage, which led Brazil to opt for a partnership considered safer.

Meanwhile, Saab and Embraer keep their expectations high for future orders, both inside and outside Brazil. Defense demand continues to grow globally, driven by ongoing conflicts and geopolitical tensions, highlighting the defense industry’s critical role in national and international security.