Brazilian Gripen E Fighters Join First Multinational Exercise Outside Brazil
The Brazilian Air Force’s Gripen E fighters, known locally as F-39E, have participated in their first-ever multinational exercise outside Brazil.
Six Gripen Es — operating under a single command and as part of a coalition — conducted several conventional warfare missions, including escort, sweep, and combat air patrol.
The fighters also carried out air defense within visual range and beyond visual range (BVR), protecting allied aircraft against simulated enemy forces.
They were fielded alongside aircraft from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, and the US during SALITRE 2026, which took place from Cerro Moreno Air Base in Antofagasta, Chile.
According to Saab Brazil Managing Director Peter Dölling, the deployment reflects the continued implementation of the Gripen program within the Brazilian Air Force while strengthening interoperability and regional defense cooperation.
Brazilian Gripen E
Brazil ordered a total of 28 single-seat Gripen Es and eight two-seater Gripen Fs from Saab in 2014, and expressed interest in June in acquiring 20 more.
The 2014 contract included the local assembly of 15 aircraft, with the first domestically produced Gripen E unveiled in March 2026.
Since 2020, 10 Sweden-made Gripen Es have been delivered to the Brazilian Air Force and have been operating on Quick Reaction Alert missions from the Anápolis Air Force Base.
The fleet also prepared for the Antofagasta scenario by using the Gripen simulator in Anápolis and conducted exercises over a month ago with other Brazilian Air Force squadrons.
“We could have flown directly from Anápolis to Antofagasta, covering this long distance without the need for in-flight refueling,” said 1st Air Defence Group Commander Lieutenant Colonel Vítor Bombonato about SALITRE 2026, highlighting the aircraft’s range.
The Gripen E features an active electronically scanned array radar and the infrared search and track passive target search sensor — used during the multinational exercise — and launches a wide array of weapons, including the Meteor BVR air-to-air missile.