According to the Brazilian media, on May 4, 2023, two more new single-seat serial JAS-39E Gripen fighters produced by the Saab AB group, received by the Brazilian Air Force, were delivered from Sweden on the Mitiq sea transport vessel under the Dutch flag to the Brazilian port of Navegantis (Santa Catarina state). On May 5, both of these aircraft (Brazilian tail numbers "4105" and "4106") were unloaded from the ship and on the morning of May 6 were delivered from the port by land transport to Navegantis Airport, from where they should fly independently to the Brazilian company Enbraer in Gavian Peishota, and then to the permanent base at the Anapolis Air Base near the capitals of Brasilia. Their delivery brought the total number of JAS-39E Gripen fighters in the Brazilian Air Force, where they have the official designation F-39E, to seven units.
Unloading in the Brazilian port of Navegantis from the Mitiq transport vessel delivered from Sweden of the seventh JAS-39E Gripen fighter received by the Brazilian Air Force (Brazilian tail number "4106"), 05.05.2023 (c) Brazilian Air ForceRecall that the single-seat JAS-39E and double-seat JAS-39F Gripen are the "new generation" of Saab JAS-39 Gripen fighters (previously designated as Gripen NG), developed by Saab AB since 2007 on an initiative with the support of the Swedish Ministry of Defense.
Gripen NG aircraft are equipped with a more powerful General Electric F414G engine (instead of F404G) compared to JAS-39A/B/C/D Gripen aircraft, the maximum take-off weight of Gripen NG has been increased from 14,000 to 16,000 kg, the internal fuel reserve has been increased by 40 percent (by moving the main landing gear struts from the fuselage to the wing), which increased the range of action, a new set of avionics was installed, including the Raven ES-05 radar with AFAR. The prototype demonstrator of the upgraded Gripen Demo aircraft, converted from an experimental two-seat JAS-39D (serial number 39-07), made its first flight in 2008. Then, as part of the Gripen NG R&D program, Saab built three JAS-39E flight prototypes (serial numbers 39-8, 39-9 and 39-10), the first of which was flown on June 15, 2017, and the other two in 2018 and 2019.
In January 2013, the Swedish government, through the Swedish defense procurement agency Försvarets materielverk (FMV), ordered 60 new-built single-seat JAS-39E fighters for the Swedish Air Force, with deliveries completed by early 2027. In March 2014, the Swedish Ministry of Defense announced a decision to purchase 10 additional JAS-39E, although to date their order has not been formalized. Initially, it was planned that the JAS-39E fighters in the Swedish Air Force would completely replace the current fleet of JAS-39C/D Gripen aircraft (now 74 single-seat JAS-39C and 24 double-seat JAS-39D), but now the Swedes plan to keep up to 60 JAS-39C/D fighters (including, apparently, all "sparky"JAS-39D) in service at least until 2035, thereby increasing the total number of fighters in the Air Force from 2026 to 120-130 units.
The first JAS-39E Gripen fighter formally built at Saab AB in Linkoping for the Swedish Air Force (serial number 39-6002) made its first flight on December 3, 2019, the actual aircraft is pre-production and is used for state tests at the FMV test center. In 2020, the following two aircraft with serial numbers 39-6003 and 39-6004 were built for the Swedish Air Force, which were handed over to the Swedish Air Force at a ceremony in Linkoping on November 24, 2021, simultaneously with the transfer of four JAS-39E fighters to the Brazilian Air Force. Actual serial deliveries of the JAS-39E to the Swedish Air Force are expected from 2024.
In October 2014, the Brazilian Air Force signed a contract for the F-X2 program, a contract worth $39.3 billion. Swedish kronor ($5.44 billion) for the development and delivery of 36 Gripen NG aircraft from 2019 to 2024, and this number included both 28 single-seat JAS-39E fighters and eight two-seat JAS-39F - Brazil became the first and so far the only customer of the two-seat version. Saab, at its Swedish facility in Linkoping, is to produce 13 of the 36 aircraft ordered by Brazil, including 12 single-seat JAS-39E and one double-seat JAS-39F with a planned delivery date in 2021, as well as eight JAS-39E fighter aircraft kits, which are to be assembled by the Brazilian company at Embraer with delivery in 2022. After that, Embraer itself, within the framework of joint production, should fully build 15 Gripen NG fighters - eight single-seat JAS-39E and seven double-seat JAS-39F, with the planned delivery to the Brazilian Air Force of the first fully Brazilian-built JAS-39E aircraft in August 2022, and the first JAS-39F in September 2023. The last JAS-39F for Brazil was scheduled for delivery in November 2024. In total, Brazilian plans in the future extend to the acquisition of 108-120 JAS-39E/F aircraft, which in the Brazilian Air Force received the designation F-39E and F.
The first JAS-39E fighter built for the Brazilian Air Force at Saab in Linkoping became the first serial (actually pre-production) aircraft of this type (serial number 39-6001, Brazilian tail number "4100") and made its first flight on August 26, 2019. On September 20, 2020, this aircraft was delivered to Brazil on a sea vessel in Navegantes. Since September 24, 2022, this aircraft has been used for testing at the specially created Gripen Flight Test Center (GFTC) located at Embraer's head office in Gavian Peixotu (Sao Paulo State).
On November 24, 2021, at a ceremony in Linkoping, the first four truly serial JAS-39E with tail numbers were handed over to the Brazilian Air Force "4101", "4102", "4103" and "4104". The first two of them were delivered by sea to the port of Navegantes on April 2, 2022, and the other two were delivered there by ship on September 25, 2022. These four aircraft initially also entered the GFTC flight test center in Gavian Peixota, however, on November 19, 2022, the 4103 and 4104 fighters flew from there to the first combat unit of the Brazilian Air Force, which began receiving the Gripen -1st Air Defense Group (1º GDA Jaguar), becoming the first operational JAS-39E in its composition and marking the beginning of its rearmament with Northrop F-5EM/FM Tiger II fighters. This group will also receive two JAS-39E fighters with the tail numbers "4105" and "4106", which have now been received.
It is obvious that the Gripen aircraft delivery program under the 2014 contract in Brazil is lagging behind, and, taking into account the plans for assembling machines in Brazil, it is likely to stretch for a long time - the current adjusted schedule already provides for the completion of the delivery of all 36 aircraft in 2027, with the start of the delivery of Brazilian-built aircraft in 2025. It is also reported that, apparently, all eight "spark" JAS-39F will be built in Sweden. However, on April 22, 2022, the Brazilian Air Force signed a preliminary agreement with Saab AB to acquire four more single-seat JAS-39E fighters, thereby bringing the number of Gripen ordered to 40 units. These additional four aircraft are also to be built by Embraer. On August 1, 2022, the leadership of Saab AB announced the beginning of negotiations with the Brazilian Air Force on the supply of 26 more JAS-39E/F aircraft to them.
Unloading in the Brazilian port of Navegantis from the transport vessel Mitiq of the sixth and seventh JAS-39E Gripen fighters delivered from Sweden received by the Brazilian Air Force (Brazilian tail numbers "4105" and "4106"), 05.05.2023 (c) Brazilian Air ForceVideo of transportation of delivered JAS-39E Gripen fighters in Navigantis from the seaport to the airport 06.05.2023 :