Brazil just did something only a handful of countries on Earth can claim: it built its own supersonic fighter jet. On 25 March 2026, Embraer, Saab and the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) pulled the covers off the first Gripen E assembled on Brazilian soil at Embraer's Gavião Peixoto complex in São Paulo state. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was there to watch his country cross the threshold into an elite manufacturing club.
The jet wears the Brazilian designation F-39E. And it is not just any milestone aircraft — it is the first supersonic fighter ever produced in Brazil, full stop.
Quick Facts
| Aircraft | Saab Gripen E (Brazilian F-39E) |
| Rollout | 25 March 2026, Embraer Gavião Peixoto |
| Milestone | First supersonic fighter ever produced in Brazil |
| Engine | GE Aerospace F414-GE-39E (~22,000 lbf) |
| Order | 36 jets (28 single-seat E, 8 twin-seat F) |
| Operator | Brazilian Air Force (FAB), Anápolis |
A first for Brazil — and for Saab
Until now, every Gripen ever built came out of Saab's home plant in Linköping, Sweden. The Gavião Peixoto line changes that. It is the first Gripen production line anywhere outside Sweden, and it puts Brazil among the very few nations — alongside the United States, Russia, China and a clutch of European partners — capable of turning out a modern, supersonic, multirole fighter.
The aircraft was unveiled in full FAB war paint inside the main hangar after roughly three years of assembly. It still has to clear functional testing and production flight tests before formal handover, after which it joins the fleet already flying with the 1st Air Defence Group at Anápolis Air Force Base.
Embraer, Saab and the Brazilian Air Force present the first Gripen E produced in Brazil.
Built on a decade of technology transfer
This rollout is the payoff from a deal signed back in 2014, when Brasília ordered 36 Gripen fighters — 28 single-seat Gripen E and eight twin-seat Gripen F (the F-39E and F-39F locally). Crucially, the contract was never just about buying jets. It bundled in one of the most far-reaching technology-transfer programmes in modern fighter history: hundreds of Brazilian engineers cycled through Saab's facilities in Sweden, and a domestic supply chain now manufactures structural components.
What's under the hood
The Gripen E is Saab's pitch for the most modern fighter in its class: network-centric architecture, deep sensor fusion and the ability to share a tactical picture across an entire formation in real time. Power comes from the GE Aerospace F414-GE-39E — a roughly 22,000-pound-thrust afterburning turbofan. Earlier this year the FAB signed a fresh support agreement with GE for the engines, locking in the logistics tail behind the fleet.
The jet is no paper milestone, either. Brazil's F-39E fleet reached Full Operational Capability at the end of 2025, and since February 2026 the type has been pulling Quick Reaction Alert duty out of Anápolis, guarding the airspace over the federal capital.
More to come
The 36-jet programme runs out toward 2032, and there are already signs Brazil wants more: reports in mid-2026 point to talks over an additional batch of around 20 fighters. Whatever the final number, the headline from Gavião Peixoto is the one that matters — Brazil now builds supersonic fighters. The plane that proves it is sitting in a hangar in São Paulo, wearing FAB blue.
Sources: Saab press release (25 Mar 2026); The Defense Post; Aerospace Global News; AeroTime; MercoPress.
Related Questions
What is the Brazilian F-39 Gripen?
The F-39 is Brazil's designation for the Saab Gripen E, a single-engine 4.5-generation multirole fighter. On 25 March 2026 Embraer, Saab and the Brazilian Air Force rolled out the first Gripen E assembled in Brazil at Embraer's Gavião Peixoto plant - the first supersonic fighter ever produced in the country.
Where is the Gripen E built in Brazil?
Brazil's Gripen E aircraft are assembled at Embraer's Gavião Peixoto complex in São Paulo state. It is the first Gripen production line anywhere outside Saab's home plant in Linköping, Sweden, established through a technology-transfer deal that lets Brazil build and support its own fighters rather than importing every airframe.
How many Gripen jets has Brazil ordered?
Brazil ordered 36 Gripen fighters: 28 single-seat F-39E models and 8 twin-seat F-39F models for the Brazilian Air Force, based at Anápolis. The locally assembled rollout in March 2026 marked a major step toward fielding the fleet and building an indigenous fighter-production capability of the kind only a few nations possess.
What engine powers the Gripen E?
The Saab Gripen E is powered by a single General Electric F414-GE-39E afterburning turbofan generating around 22,000 lbf of thrust. The F414 is a proven engine also used in the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, giving the Gripen E strong performance for a relatively light, low-cost fighter.
Which countries can build their own supersonic fighters?
Only a small group of nations can produce modern supersonic fighters domestically, including the United States, Russia, China, Sweden and several European partners. By assembling the Gripen E at home, Brazil joined that club. Other countries pursue the goal through co-development, such as Japan, Britain and Italy's GCAP next-generation fighter.
Related Posts
0 Comments