Saab Unveils Gripen Fighter Aerostructures Plant in Brazil

Saab has unveiled a 5000 square-meter facility in Sao Paulo, Brazil for its future Gripen fighter jet aerostructures plant.

Saab Aeronáutica Montagens (SAM) will produce aerostructures for the Brazilian Gripen fighter and is preparing to become part of Saab´s global supply chain, the company said in a statement Wednesday.

"We are transferring knowledge and production capacity for complex aerostructures to Brazil, in compliance with our offset agreement. The plant is planned to be part of the global Saab supply chain for the civil aviation and defence markets," Mikael Franzén, Head of Business Unit Gripen Brazil, Saab Aeronautics said.

SAM will be responsible for producing six complex structural parts for Gripen acquired by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), such as the tail cone, aerodynamic brakes, wing box, front fuselage for the single-seat and two-seat versions and the rear fuselage for the single-seat version of the aircraft.

"This is the beginning of the plant installation. We are setting up the office, hiring personnel and suppliers. By 2020 the entire plant structure will be ready to start manufacturing Gripen components," explains Marcelo Lima, SAM's Director-General.

Saab AB will be the majority shareholder in SAM with 90 percent and the Brazilian engineering company Akaer will be a minority shareholder with 10 percent. At the same time, Saab increases its stake in Akaer to 28 percent in a stock swap agreement.