Sweden’s Saab AB could deliver the first of 36 Gripen NGs to Brazil as early as 2016 after winning the country’s $4.5 billion F-X fighter jet competition, according to a statement from Brazil’s defense ministry.
The first aircraft is expected to arrive approximately 48 months after the financing agreement is signed, which is expected to occur in December 2014. The $4.5 billion investment is to be paid over a disbursement schedule through 2023. The contract also includes initial logistics, pilot and mechanic training and the acquisition of flight simulators.
Now that the aircraft decision has been made, the next step is to start discussions regarding commercial contracts and logistical support. The deadline for these negotiations is nine to 12 months, Brazil said.
Celso Amorim, the Brazilian minister of defense, said in a statement the Gripen was selected for reasons including performance, effective technology transfer and costs, both for acquisition and maintenance. Brazil said it liked Gripen’s advanced sensor and data fusion systems that provide pilots with a complete and accurate picture of their deployment scenarios. It said Gripen also had the best price.
Brazil confirmed that Boeing [BA] and its F/A-18 Super Hornet and France’s Dassault with its Rafale were passed up in favor of Saab. The Gripen NG is a “technological evolution” of the jet’s C and D variants and is powered by a General Electric [GE] F414G turbofan engine. Gripen NG also features what Saab calls the world’s only second generation active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, the ES 05 Raven developed by Selex-Galileo, in tandem with Saab and Brazilian industry.
Countries that operate Gripen include Sweden, Hungary, Czech Republic, South Africa and Thailand.