Brazil has signed the contract for the purchase of 36 Gripen E/F, the latest version of the JAS 39 Gripen from Sweden's SAAB. While Brazil had earlier reported that it had chosen the Gripen over other contenders such as the French Rafale and the American F-18, the signing of the contract worth around $5.4 billion makes it official.
This makes Brazil the first export customer of the Swedish Gripen E/F, also known as the Gripen NG. Brazil thus joins Sweden, South Africa, Thailand, Hungary and the Czech Republic as countries that have either purchased on leased Gripen aircraft.
Brazil also becomes the first country to purchase the dual-seat Gripen F by including eight Gripen F on top of 28 single-seat Gripen E in the order for 36 aircraft. Sweden, the first to buy the latest Gripen, had only included the single-seat Gripen E in its purchase of 60 aircraft.
