Brazil is weighing an additional Gripen E/F order of about 20 aircraft, beyond the 36 jets already contracted under the 2014 FX-2 program. The move is linked to delivery delays, the retirement of aging F-5 and AMX aircraft, and a push to preserve the Saab-Embraer industrial partnership.
The original deal covered 36 Gripen E/F fighters for roughly $5 billion, with the first aircraft delivered to Brazil in 2019 and operational deliveries beginning in 2021. Saab said series production of the E/F family was underway, while Gripen F two-seaters were expected later in the decade.
Brazil has also discussed used Gripen C/D aircraft as a stopgap measure. The current planning debate centers on avoiding a fighter gap while keeping the local assembly and technology-transfer line active in Brazil.