Sweden and Brazil are taking further steps to strengthen their defense industry cooperation. During a visit to Sweden, Brazil’s Minister of Defense, José Múcio, announced that the country sees a need to expand its Jas Gripen fleet with around 20 new fighter jets.
The statement came as Minister of Defense Pål Jonson (M) welcomed José Múcio and signed a new cooperation agreement on Thursday, June 4, focused on the defense industry.
No final purchase decision has yet been made, but the signal from Brazil is seen as an important step toward a future deal.
– There is interest on the Brazilian side to go beyond the 36 and possibly also acquire an additional 20 Gripen planes, said Jonson.
The visit coincided with a widely covered showing in Linköping where the first Brazilian Gripen F aircraft was presented. The model is a two-seat variant of the Gripen E and is developed, among other things, for training, advanced combat missions, and cooperation with unmanned systems.
The aircraft was developed for Brazil’s air force, but Sweden has also recently opened up to the possibility of acquiring the same version in the future.
At the same time, the countries are working to broaden their cooperation beyond the purchase of aircraft itself. During the talks, plans were discussed for a joint innovation center where Swedish and Brazilian actors will develop technology for maintenance, modernization, and future upgrades of the Gripen system.
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Cooperation between the countries has steadily grown over the past decade. As early as 2014, Brazil ordered 36 Gripen aircraft from Saab, while at the same time a close partnership was established with the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer on production and assembly in Brazil. Two years ago, plans for an additional nine aircraft were also presented.
– We will always be friends, good friends, because we respect each other, said the Brazilian Defense Minister.
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In March this year, yet another milestone was reached when Embraer completed and rolled out its first Gripen aircraft from the production facility in Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo state.
Success for Saab
The partnership is mutual. Sweden has chosen Embraer’s transport aircraft C-390 Millennium as a replacement for the Armed Forces’ older Hercules planes. The first deliveries are expected to begin in 2028, further strengthening ties between the two countries’ defense industries.
If Brazil proceeds with plans for an additional 20 JAS Gripen aircraft, it would mark one of the largest export successes for the Swedish defense industry in recent years and deepen the already extensive partnership between the countries.
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Both Colombia and Thailand have already chosen to acquire Jas Gripen. Recently, it was also reported that Ukraine is expected to receive 16 Jas Gripen C/D from Sweden as part of Swedish aid, while the country plans to purchase another 20 newly produced Gripen aircraft from Saab.
Watch the press conference: