Embraer and Saab have signed a Heads of Agreement (HoA) establishing a framework for the potential production of 20 additional Gripen fighter aircraft at Embraer’s Gavião Peixoto (GPX) industrial complex in São Paulo, Brazil.
Under the agreement, Embraer would assemble the aircraft, complementing Saab’s existing final assembly line in Linköping, Sweden, and increasing overall Gripen production capacity to meet future global demand.
The planned expansion builds on more than a decade of cooperation between the two companies through the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) Gripen programme. The partnership has included extensive technology transfer, training and knowledge sharing, enabling Brazilian engineers, technicians, test pilots and production specialists to develop expertise in advanced fighter aircraft manufacturing.
Embraer Defense & Security CEO Bosco da Costa Junior said the agreement reinforces the company’s strategic role in the Gripen programme and positions it to support increased production if market demand grows. Saab CEO Micael Johansson highlighted the partnership’s importance in strengthening industrial capabilities and supporting future opportunities, particularly in Latin America.
The Gavião Peixoto facility, which hosts the only Gripen final assembly line outside Sweden, has become a key aerospace manufacturing hub, combining Brazilian and international suppliers within a globally integrated production network.
Embraer and Saab intend to finalise the corresponding production agreement in 2026, further expanding their collaboration and creating additional capacity for one of the world’s leading multirole fighter aircraft programmes.