The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) took another step towards the objective of expanding the defense capacity and guaranteeing the sovereignty of the country's airspace and its borders. On  September 25, two more F-39 Gripen aircraft landed in Brazil. They are in addition to two other series production fighters already received in April.

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FAB 4103 and FAB 4104 (Picture source: Lieutenant Kelly / CECOMSAER)

FAB 4103 and FAB 4104 arrived at the port of Navegantes (SC) on a ship from Sweden. During the early hours of September 26 , they were taken to the city's airport, in an operation that involved dozens of FAB soldiers, in addition to the Santa Catarina Military Police (PMSC), Navegantes Municipal Guard and Santa Catarina Fire Department (CBMSC). ). The mission also had the participation of the Civil Police of Santa Catarina (PCSC), the Municipality of Navegantes, the Municipal Foundation for Surveillance and Traffic (NAVETRAN) and the Federal Revenue Service.

Once the displacement was completed, the aircraft underwent a series of necessary procedures so that they could take off towards the Gripen Flight and Test Center (GFTC), at the Embraer plant in Gavião Peixoto (SP). The works included the installation of an ejection seat and survival kit, fueling and preparation for ground deployment.

FAB 4103 and FAB 4104 arrived at the port of Navegantes (SC) on a ship from Sweden (Picture source: Lieutenant Kelly / CECOMSAER)

In Gavião Peixoto, FAB, Embraer and Saab test pilots perform flight tests until the aircraft are ready to receive the military certificate. The document is a kind of initial operating license. At the end of this phase, the fighters will be transferred to the Anápolis Air Base, where they will go through the final stages of delivery and start of operation by the First Air Defense Group (1st GDA).

According to the operation's coordinator, Colonel Aviator Leandro Barbosa Ferreira Pinto, it is a source of pride to be able to accompany the arrival, on Brazilian soil, of two more Gripen aircraft. "The vector represents a technological milestone for increasing the operational capacity of the Brazilian Air Force and for the development of the national defense industry", he emphasized.

Gripen is recognized for its efficiency, low operating cost, high availability and advanced technological capability. The fighter is used by different Air Forces around the world as a vector responsible for the sovereignty and protection of these nations. 

In Brazil, the entry into service means an important qualitative and technological leap, with some of the on-board resources being unprecedented for the FAB. The Brazilian Air Force is a pioneer in the operation of the two-seat version, the Gripen F, jointly developed by Brazil and Sweden.

 Once the displacement was completed, the aircraft underwent a series of necessary procedures so that they could take off towards the Gripen Flight and Test Center (Picture source: Lieutenant Kelly / CECOMSAER)