Saab has announced that its Gripen E fighter jet has officially been inducted into service by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) to boost the defence prowess of the country. The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) held an official ceremony on 19 December 2022 at the Anápolis Air Base (BAAN) marking the beginning of operational activities of the Gripen E fighters (which is referred to as Gripen F-39 in Brazil) by the First Air Defense Group (1st GDA).
The important customer milestone follows the flight test phase in Brazil that started in September 2020 with the arrival of the test aircraft in the country. The flight tests were conducted at the Gripen Flight Test Center (GFTC) located at the Embraer plant in Gavião Peixoto.