Brazil May Consider HAL Tejas to Complement Gripen E Jet

Lieutenant Brigadier Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno, Commander of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), revealed that Brazil may consider India’s HAL Tejas light combat aircraft as a potential addition to its fleet.

Damasceno met with Indian Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari and Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi this week.

Speaking to Indian media, Damasceno confirmed FAB’s requirement for “additional fighter platforms” to complement its current fleet, particularly the Gripen E.

The Brazilian Air Force operates the Saab Gripen E, but with older F-5 jets approaching retirement by 2030, the need for new aircraft has become pressing. Damasceno outlined that the FAB plans to field a fleet consisting of two to three different fighter aircraft types. While the Gripen remains a central component of this strategy, the Tejas is under consideration as one of the options to fill this gap.

"Tejas is one of the options for our second or third fighter plane," he was quoted as saying by Times Now.

Damasceno will visit Bangalore, where Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the manufacturer of the Tejas, is headquartered. During this visit, he will inspect the Tejas and explore the potential for procurement. The Tejas, a single-engine, multi-role fighter with extensive indigenous components, is already in use by the Indian Air Force, which has placed orders for over 200 units.

In addition to fighter jets, helicopters are another priority for Brazil. Damasceno highlighted the need for around 24 new helicopters for the FAB, including some for operations in the Amazon region and for flood relief efforts. Indian helicopters, such as the Dhruv and Prachand, are being considered to fulfill this requirement. "We have seven squadrons of 12 helicopters each and we are looking for more, perhaps 24 new choppers…. We will consider Indian helicopters," he said.

The Brazilian Commander’s visit follows a series of high-level defense meetings between India and Brazil. Earlier in the week, Damasceno met with Indian Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi to discuss deepening bilateral defense cooperation. The discussions included joint work on drones, space satellites, and the potential transfer of technology.

Brazil is also offering its Embraer C-390 Millennium transport aircraft to India. The C-390, with two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in place with Mahindra for potential manufacturing in India, is seen as a competitor to the American C-130. Damasceno emphasized the aircraft's reliability, having logged 15,000 operational hours with a serviceability rate exceeding 97%.

A high-level Embraer delegation is concluding a visit to India to explore expanding its supply chain in the country. In an official statement, the company said it sees potential suppliers in areas like aerostructures, machining, and software development.