MEDIA CENTER

· Milestone demonstrates Brazil’s established capability to manufacture, integrate and test advanced fighter aircraft

· Successful flight validates Gavião Peixoto as an integral part of Gripen’s global production system and reinforces the long-term Saab–Embraer partnership

Gavião Peixoto, Brazil, October 7, 2026 – Embraer (NYSE: EMBJ / B3: EMBJ3) and Saab have successfully completed the maiden flight of the first Gripen E fighter aircraft produced in Brazil by Embraer. The aircraft took off from Embraer’s industrial complex in Gavião Peixoto, State of São Paulo, on a mission to verify the performance of its main systems and validate its flight characteristics.

The milestone represents an important achievement for the Gripen Program and for Brazil’s aerospace and defense industry. It reflects the Brazilian Air Force’s strategic decision to structure the program around technology transfer, strong local industrial participation and the development of long-term national competencies. Over more than a decade, this approach has enabled the establishment of critical infrastructure, knowledge and industrial expertise in Brazil, which have evolved into an established capability to manufacture, integrate and test a next-generation fighter aircraft, strengthening the country’s aerospace and defense industrial base.

Embraer played a key role in planning and executing the maiden flight, demonstrating the maturity of the capabilities developed through the Gripen Program and the close cooperation among Embraer, the Brazilian Air Force and Saab. Conducted by a Saab test pilot, the flight confirmed the aircraft’s expected performance and generated data for the continuation of the production flight-test and acceptance campaign ahead of delivery to the Brazilian Air Force.

“This first flight of a Gripen E produced in Brazil by Embraer is a historic milestone for the country’s aerospace and defense industry. It confirms the success of a long-term strategy that combined the vision of the Brazilian Air Force, Saab’s technological expertise and Embraer’s engineering and industrial capabilities,” said Bosco da Costa Junior, President & CEO of Embraer Defense & Security. “More than an achievement for the Gripen Program, this milestone demonstrates that the competencies developed over the years have become real and proven industrial capabilities in Brazil, strengthening our Defense Industrial Base and our ability to participate in highly complex global defense programs.”

“This maiden flight shows that Gripen production in Brazil has reached a new level of maturity. I am proud of our close cooperation with Embraer in the Gripen Program, which establish a solid foundation for Gripen’s future development in Brazil,” said Marcus Wandt, Head of Saab’s Business Area Aeronautics.

Officially unveiled on March 25 following final assembly by Embraer, the aircraft is the first of 15 units planned for production in Brazil under the current program. Built in Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo State, the fighter reinforces the strategic role of the facility, which is home to the only Gripen production line outside Sweden and forms an integral part of Saab’s global manufacturing and supply network.

Following completion of the production flight-test and acceptance campaign, the aircraft will be prepared for delivery to the Brazilian Air Force. It will subsequently be transferred to Anápolis Air Base, in Goiás State, where it will join the First Air Defense Group (1st GDA), which currently operates the Gripen E.

Brazilian Gripen Program

The contract signed with the Brazilian Government in 2014 covers the development and production of 36 Gripen aircraft for the Brazilian Air Force: 28 single-seat Gripen E aircraft and eight two-seat Gripen F aircraft. Deliveries began in 2020, and ten aircraft have been delivered to the Brazilian Air Force to date.

The program includes an extensive technology transfer and industrial cooperation initiative involving Brazilian engineers, technicians and specialists working alongside Saab teams in areas ranging from development and engineering to manufacturing, integration and flight testing. This cooperation has progressively transformed transferred knowledge into permanent industrial capabilities established in Brazil.

On July 21, Embraer and Saab announced the signing of a Heads of Agreement (HoA), establishing the framework to expand the cooperation between the companies and continue advancing negotiations toward new contracts. The agreement contemplates the potential production of twenty (20) additional Gripen aircraft, with potential future expansion, assembled at Embraer’s Gavião Peixoto facility for domestic and international opportunities.

The initiative would allow the Brazilian production capability to complement Saab’s final assembly line in Linköping, Sweden, further strengthening the companies’ ability to respond to growing global demand for Gripen.

Images: https://embraer.bynder.com/share/017B7965-24F4-468C-A753130BBAEF57E6/?viewType=grid

About Embraer

A global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, Embraer operates in the Commercial Aviation, Executive Aviation, Defense & Security and Agricultural Aviation segments. The Company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems, and provides after-sales Services & Support to customers.

Since its foundation in 1969, Embraer has delivered more than 9,000 aircraft. On average, every 10 seconds, an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off from somewhere in the world, transporting more than 150 million passengers annually.

Embraer is a leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats and the main exporter of high value-added goods in Brazil. The company maintains industrial units, offices, service centers and parts distribution centers among other activities, in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe.

About Saab

Saab is a leading defense and security company with an enduring purpose, to help nations keep their people and society safe. Empowered by its 29,000 talented people, Saab constantly pushes the boundaries of technology to create a safer and more sustainable world. Saab designs, manufactures and maintains advanced systems in aeronautics, weapons, command and control, sensors and underwater systems. Saab is headquartered in Sweden. It has major operations all over the world and is part of the domestic defense capability of several nations.