Saab and Embraer ready to expand Gripen production in Brazil

The framework could see Embraer more than double the number of Gripen E/F fighters it currently plans to assemble.

Swedish defence manufacturer Saab and Brazilian airframer Embraer are in talks to expand the scope of their partnership on the Gripen E/F fourth-generation fighter.

Under a framework deal signed at the Farnborough air show on 21 July, Embraer could potentially produce another 20 Gripens at its Gavio Peixoto manufacturing campus in Sao Paulo state. The new aircraft would be in addition to the 15 Gripen E/Fs Embraer is already under contract to assemble for the Brazilian air force (FAB).

The expansion is not final, and neither company has named a specific customer for the potential tranche of 20 jets.

However, Embraer has previously told FlightGlobal that its Gavio Peixoto line could be used to support Saab export sales to new Gripen E/F buyers in Latin America.

“The partnership between Saab and Embraer reinforces our long-term commitment to Latin America,” says Saab chief executive Micael Johansson. “We are strengthening our capabilities, securing additional capacity for future business opportunities, and taking a forward-leaning approach to supporting the evolving needs of our customers across the region.”

Saab now sees the potential for a large number of new Gripen E/F orders in the coming years, particularly from Ukraine. Kyiv signed a letter of intent with the Swedish government in 2025 expressing interest in acquiring up to 150 fighters from Saab.

The government of Sweden has also committed to providing Ukraine with 16 older Gripen C/Ds second-hand from the Swedish air force’s fleet – and backfilling those jets with more new-build E-models.

Kyiv has also signed for 16 fresh Gripen Es – a SKr24.6 billion ($2.5 billion) deal that will see fighters delivered to Ukraine between 2029 and 2030.

Canada is also considering a potentially large Gripen buy, with Saab offering local production. Ottawa has already announced Saab as the preferred supplier for a new airborne early warning aircraft, and the Swedish company has floated a package deal covering production of both the GlobalEye platform and Gripen fighters.

A source within Saab tells FlightGlobal that the company believes it may need up to three total Gripen E/F production lines, including Gavio Peixoto and the primary assembly line in Linkoping, Sweden, to meet projected export demand.

For its part in that, Embraer says it is ready to step up.

“We are well positioned to support increased production capacity, if demand requires it”, says Bosco da Costa Junior, chief executive of Embraer Defense & Security.

Embraer revealed the first single-seat Gripen E produced in Brazil this past March.

That jet was the first supersonic fighter ever to be assembled in Latin America.