Brazil announces plans to buy 20 more Swedish Gripen fighter jets to replace aging American F-5 jets.

Brazil is moving to expand its Gripen fighter fleet with plans to acquire 20 additional Saab Gripen E/F aircraft, a development announced by the Brazilian and Swedish defense ministers on June 4, 2026, that would raise the Brazilian Air Force’s future inventory from 36 to 56 jets. The move would accelerate the replacement of aging F-5 fighters while strengthening Brazil’s ability to defend vast air and maritime areas with a modern combat force built to remain operational for decades.

The announcement follows two major milestones: the rollout of the first Gripen E assembled in Brazil in March 2026 and the unveiling of the first Gripen F two-seat variant on June 2, confirming the country’s growing role in the program’s production and development. A larger fleet would not only increase combat capacity but also sustain domestic aerospace manufacturing, support advanced weapons and networked operations, and position the Gripen as the backbone of Brazil’s air power through the middle of the century.

Related topic: Brazil weighs Saab Gripen deal to replace aging U.S.-made F-5 fighter jets

Unlike conventional two-seat fighters primarily intended for conversion training, the Gripen F retains the same radar, electronic warfare architecture, weapons integration, fuel capacity, and mission software as the single-seat Gripen E. (Picture source: Saab)

On June 4, 2026, Brazil's Defence Minister José Múcio and Swedish Defence Minister Dr. Pål Jonson announced that they were negotiating the acquisition of 20 more Saab Gripen E/Fs fighters, allowing a 25 percent increase of the original order. If both mechanisms are implemented, the Brazilian Air Force would expand its planned Gripen fleet from 36 to 56 aircraft at a moment when the Gripen crossed two important thresholds. On March 25, 2026, Embraer rolled out the first Gripen E assembled in Brazil at Gavião Peixoto, marking the first Gripen ever produced outside Sweden. On June 2, 2026, Saab unveiled the first Gripen F, the two-seat variant co-developed with Brazil.

Together, those milestones indicate that Brasília is no longer focused on completing a fighter acquisition signed twelve years ago. Instead, the focus has shifted toward determining the final size of the future combat fleet, the extent of domestic industrial participation, and the role the Gripen will play as the Brazilian Air Force's primary fighter through the middle of the century. The declaration signed by Brazil and Sweden indicates that both governments are seeking to expand cooperation beyond aircraft production and delivery. Among the initiatives under consideration is the creation of an innovation centre dedicated to future Gripen development, maintenance technologies, support systems, software evolution, and future mission capabilities.

Saab also intends to establish additional research and development activities in Brazil. This reflects recognition that the value of the programme increasingly lies not only in the aircraft themselves but also in the engineering, industrial, and sustainment infrastructure created around them, like in Canada. If Brazil ultimately reaches a fleet of 56 Gripens, it would operate the second-largest Gripen force in the world after Sweden. More importantly, it would possess a force composed of domestically assembled Gripen E and Gripen F fighters connected through Link BR2 networks, equipped with Meteor missiles, supported by local production infrastructure, and integrated into a national aerospace sector that also manufactures the KC-390.

The proposed acquisition, therefore, concerns fleet size, industrial continuity, engineering retention, production capacity, and long-term force generation simultaneously, rather than simply the purchase of twenty additional aircraft. The rationale behind the expansion is relatively straightforward. Air Force Commander Lt. Brig. Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno has publicly identified a requirement for between 50 and 60 fighter jets, which means the original order of 36 Gripens represented only 60 to 72 percent of the force level considered necessary. The numerical gap becomes more significant when measured against Brazil's operational fighter coverage across approximately 8.5 million km² of national territory and a further 3.6 million km² Exclusive Economic Zone.

These areas include the Amazon basin, the industrial and population centres of southeastern Brazil, offshore oil and gas infrastructure in the South Atlantic, and long maritime approaches extending thousands of kilometres from the coastline. A fleet of 36 fighters inevitably translates into a limited number of combat-ready aircraft available at any given time after accounting for maintenance cycles, pilot conversion, training requirements, and depot-level inspections. Expanding the fleet to 56 Gripens would increase inventory by 55.6 percent and place the force inside the lower portion of the 50-60 fighter requirement identified by Air Force leadership. 

To date, approximately fifty F-5EM and F-5FM aircraft remain in service, but many of those airframes entered Brazilian service between 1973 and 1988. Although the modernisation programme completed in October 2020 introduced Grifo F multimode radars, updated mission computers, electronic warfare systems, multifunction displays, and compatibility with modern guided weapons, this could not reverse the effects of decades of structural fatigue accumulation. The Gripen, therefore, addresses two separate challenges simultaneously. The first is replacing aircraft approaching the end of their practical service lives. The second is rebuilding fighter mass that had gradually declined over time as procurement levels failed to match force requirements.

In practical terms, Brazil is moving away from a fleet centred on upgraded Cold War-era U.S. jets toward one centred on newly produced Swedish fighters that are expected to remain operational into the 2060s. The industrial structure supporting the programme has changed significantly since the contract was signed in 2014. The first Gripen jets delivered to Brazil were produced in Sweden. By contrast, the first Brazilian-assembled Gripen E rolled out at Gavião Peixoto in March 2026 after final assembly, systems integration, and flight preparation were conducted domestically. Saab's facility in São Bernardo do Campo manufactures major aerostructures, while Embraer performs final assembly and testing. Fourteen additional Gripen under the current contract are scheduled to follow the same production model.

The significance of this arrangement becomes clearer when examining what a second batch would actually finance. The factories, tooling, assembly stations, engineering teams, and supplier networks already exist. Hundreds of Brazilian engineers and technicians have already completed training activities in Sweden. Consequently, a second batch of twenty Gripen E/Fs would not be creating a production capability from scratch. It would be increasing utilisation of an industrial base that is already operating and extending the period during which Gripen manufacturing remains active in Brazil. The proposed acquisition arrives during the most demanding period yet experienced by the Gripen production lines.

Sweden is procuring 60 Gripen E fighters, Colombia has ordered 17 Gripen E/Fs, and Thailand has ordered four Gripen E/F aircraft with options for additional acquisitions. Ukraine is pursuing the acquisition of up to 20 Gripen E/F fighters while simultaneously preparing to receive 16 Gripen C/Ds, and discussions regarding a future Ukrainian force reaching 100 to 150 Gripen E fighters would exceed every previous Gripen export programme. Canada is also evaluating a mixed fleet potentially consisting of approximately 60 Gripens and 30 F-35As. Under these conditions, the primary constraint is increasingly industrial throughput rather than demand.

Production rates are also influenced by the availability of General Electric F414 engines, manufacturing capacity for AESA radar components, electronic warfare subsystems, avionics integration resources, and specialised aerospace suppliers. The existence of an operational production line in Brazil, therefore, acquires an additional importance because it offers Saab a degree of manufacturing flexibility at a time when multiple customers are competing for production slots through the late 2020s. The operational capabilities of the Gripen E/F differ substantially from the F-5 fleet it is intended to replace.

The E/F is powered by a General Electric F414-GE-39E turbofan producing approximately 98 kN, or 22,000 lbf, of thrust with afterburner. Internal fuel capacity increases from roughly 3.4 tonnes in the Gripen C/D to approximately 5.4 tonnes in the Gripen E/F, while maximum takeoff weight rises from approximately 14 tonnes to 16.5 tonnes. The result is a fighter carrying nearly 59 percent more internal fuel than previous Gripen variants while supporting greater payload flexibility and endurance. The fighter also integrates the Leonardo ES-05 Raven AESA radar mounted on a mechanically repositioned swashplate that expands off-axis coverage beyond that available to fixed-array AESA radars.

Additional sensors include the Skyward-G infrared search-and-track system and distributed electronic support measures. Electronic warfare functions are handled through Saab's Arexis suite, which combines radar warning receivers, active jamming, emitter geolocation, automated countermeasures management, and 360-degree threat awareness. Across ten external weapon stations, the Gripen E/F can carry approximately 7.2 tonnes of payload, including Meteor, IRIS-T, anti-ship missiles, guided bombs, reconnaissance pods, electronic warfare payloads, and external fuel tanks. One of the most significant differences between the Brazilian programme and previous Gripen exports is the development of the Gripen F.

Unlike conventional two-seat fighters primarily intended for conversion training, the F-39F retains the same radar, electronic warfare architecture, weapons integration, fuel capacity, and mission software as the single-seat F-39E. Brazil financed and co-developed the Gripen F rather than purchasing an existing two-seat design. The second cockpit is intended to support missions where information management becomes as demanding as aircraft operation itself. During long-range strike missions, integrated air defence operations and electronic warfare missions, one crew member can focus on aircraft control while the second manages sensors, datalinks, target prioritisation, electronic attack functions and mission coordination.

Saab also increasingly associates the rear cockpit with future command-and-control functions, including coordination of drones alongside manned fighters. The Gripen F, therefore, represents an attempt to address a growing challenge in modern air combat: the increasing volume of information that must be processed by crews during complex operations. Brazil's Gripen E fighters already began Quick Reaction Alert duties from Anápolis Air Base in early 2026 and are now participating directly in air sovereignty missions rather than remaining within test and evaluation units.

On November 27, 2025, Brazil also conducted its first live firing of the Meteor missile from a Gripen E during the EXTEC BVR-X exercise near Natal. The exercise involved beyond-visual-range engagement scenarios and represented a key step in validating combat employment procedures. The Meteor differs from conventional air-to-air missiles through its throttleable ramjet propulsion system, which allows sustained energy retention throughout much of the engagement profile.

Publicly available performance figures place the missile's no-escape zone near 60 km, while overall engagement range exceeds 100 km and is frequently estimated above 200 km. The missile is integrated with the Gripen's sensor and datalink architecture, allowing mid-course updates and cooperative engagements. At the same time, Brazil continues integrating the national Link BR2 datalink, enabling direct connectivity between Gripen fighters, E-99 airborne early warning aircraft, and national command networks.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.

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