Swedish defense company Saab announced the successful first flight of the Gripen F, the two-seat variant of its Gripen E combat aircraft. According to the company, the inaugural 40-minute flight took place in Linköping, Sweden, and was piloted jointly by test pilots from Saab and the Brazilian Air Force. The platform will now enter a progressive flight test campaign ahead of its eventual delivery to Brazil.
Saab press release:
Saab has successfully completed the first flight of Gripen F, the two-seat variant of Gripen E. The aircraft took off at 09:40 local time from Saab’s airfield in Linköping, Sweden, and remained airborne for 40 minutes.
The flight was conducted at Saab’s airfield in Linköping by Saab chief test pilot Jakob Högberg and Brazilian Air Force test pilot Lieutenant Colonel Aviator Abdon de Rezende Vasconcelos. This inaugural sortie successfully verified the functionality of the aircraft core systems and its initial flight performance.
“This first flight represents an important step forward for both Saab and the Brazilian Air Force. Seeing Gripen F take to the skies is particularly significant for all the Swedish and Brazilian teams whose years of engineering work have helped turn this aircraft into a reality. It is designed to accelerate pilot training while and enhancing operational performance in advanced combat missions,” says Lars Tossman, head of Saab business area Aeronautics.
With this mission, Gripen F enters the airborne phase of its test campaign. Following the initial production acceptance flights, the programme will move into a progressive envelope expansion phase, in which the aircraft full performance limits — including speed, altitude, G-load and angle of attack — will be cleared step by step. In parallel, tactical capabilities and rear cockpit functions specific to the two-seat configuration will also be evaluated.
Gripen F is the result of the strategic partnership between Brazil and Sweden, as well as the extensive technology transfer carried out under the Brazilian Gripen Programme. More than 350 Brazilian engineers, technicians and pilots have participated in training activities related to the development, production, flight testing and maintenance of the aircraft.
As the launch customer, Brazil played an active role in the co-development of the two-seat variant, enabling direct industrial participation and long-term cooperation.
The campaign will be conducted by Saab’s Flight Test Centre in Sweden. Once the planned activities and aircraft acceptance procedures have been completed, Gripen F will be prepared for delivery to the Brazilian Air Force.