Saab’s two-seat Gripen F completed its first flight at the company’s airfield in Linköping, Sweden, on 28 August, moving the Brazilian-configured fighter into airborne testing. The roughly 40-minute sortie was flown by Saab chief test pilot Jakob Högberg and Brazilian Air Force test pilot Lt. Col. Abdon de Rezende Vasconcelos. Saab checked core systems and initial flight performance during the sortie.
The Gripen F is the twin-seat version of the Gripen E and forms part of the Brazil Gripen programme. The aircraft is intended for eventual delivery to the Brazilian Air Force, which has been working with Saab on the fighter’s development and local integration effort. The first flight puts the model into the next stage of the test programme, where handling, systems integration and flight characteristics can be evaluated before later milestones in the campaign.
The Brazilian programme remains one of Saab’s most important export fighter commitments and includes both single-seat and two-seat variants. The Gripen F is designed to support training, mission development and operational flexibility alongside the Gripen E fleet.