Gripen F makes debut as Brazil anticipates delivery of two-seat variant
Brazilian media are reporting that Saab is about to unveil the first tandem-seat Gripen F trainer variant for the Brazilian Air Force. The jet is expected to be delivered to South America in the coming month, making Brazil the first operator of the variant.
Saab poised to unveil first two-seat Brazil Gripen F
Yesterday, the Brazilian news outlet Aeroin reported, “The first next-generation two-seat fighter of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) has been completed and will be unveiled tomorrow in Sweden.”
Aerion says the ceremony is to be held at Saab facilities in Linköping, Sweden. Brazil is set to be the first operator of the Gripen F as Sweden continues to use the older Gripen D for pilot training.
Aeroin also writes, “The first F-39F is expected to be loaded onto a ship later this month and transported to the city of Navegantes in the state of Santa Catarina [in Brazil].”
The decision to ship by sea is informed by a combination of a lack of Brazilian and Swedish refuelling assets and the aircraft being new, making a transatlantic crossing dangerous.
While AGN has previously reported that Embraer is now delivering the first Gripen fighter jets to the FAB, these are all Gripen E single-seat variants. Tandem seat versions accommodate a student pilot and a flight instructor.
📍Natal Air Force Base, #Brazil (🇧🇷)
— SA Defensa (@SA_Defensa) February 7, 2026
We finally have photos from the @fab_oficial showing a glimpse of the 2-week testing phase of air-to-ground munitions integration trials between @Saab & @fab_oficial on the Gripen E. https://t.co/kZkrYb2qjl pic.twitter.com/rv1JdbFBsz
The aircraft (called Gripen F) is designated JAS 39F by Saab, but will receive the designation F-36F in Brazilian service. The aircraft was largely developed for Brazilian requirements, while Sweden is able to use its older Gripen Ds to train Gripen F pilots.
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Brazil is developing its defence aerospace industry
Brazil is purchasing 36 Saab Gripen fighter jets, of which eight are to be two-seater examples. By March 2026, the Brazilian Air Force had received 12 Gripen Es; 11 were built in Sweden, and one was built in Brazil. Embraer is expected to assemble a total of 15 jets.
Domestic production and technology transfer are major aspects of Brazil’s decision to select the Gripen, and why it was chosen over the Rafale, Typhoon, and F-16.
Brazil’s Embraer is currently the third-largest aerospace company in the world by number of commercial passenger airliner market share (regional jets), with a 3.7% market share.
Embraer has also become a military aerospace player with its turboprop A-29 Super Tucano trainer/light fighter and with its new Embraer C-390 Millennium transport.
FAB NA MÍDIA
— Força Aérea Brasileira 🇧🇷 (@fab_oficial) May 19, 2026
📰 Metrópoles – publicada em 19/05/2026.
🛫 FAB faz maior exercício aéreo do país com estreia do caça Gripen.
🔗Saiba mais: https://t.co/1GlnjYDYjk
”Sempre pronta, sempre presente, onde o Brasil precisar”✈️
For Saab, having another production line in Brazil provides it with the flexibility to potentially scale production should it receive a significant number of new orders from countries like Canada and Ukraine.
Other customers of the Gripen F
The Gripen F is not just used for training; it is also fully combat-capable, but there are some notable changes. For example, it doesn’t carry the internal Mauser BK-27 27 mm autocannon found on the Gripen E, and the aircraft is around 70 cm longer than its single-seat counterpart.
Separately, Colombia and Thailand are purchasing the two-seat Gripen F. The decision to purchase the Gripen over the F-16 has been controversial in Colombia, while plans to purchase Gripens seem to have collapsed in Peru.
Over the weekend, right-wing Colombian presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella won the first round and now heads to a second round. He has previously said he wanted to cancel the Gripen order in favour of the F-16.
Gripen Fs may also eventually be delivered to Ukraine after Sweden highlighted a plan to donate up to 16 older Gripen C/Ds, with deliveries starting next year, and for Ukraine to purchase up to 20 Gripen E/Fs with deliveries starting around 2030.
AGN reported in 2025 that Sweden had received its first single-seat next-generation Gripen E.
Featured Image: Embraer
