Gripen F Takes to the Skies as Brazil’s Two-Seat Fighter Enters Flight-Test Campaign

Saab’s latest Gripen has finally done what aircraft are generally expected to do: it left the ground. But while the first flight of a new aircraft is hardly an unusual event in the aviation world, the first flight of the Gripen F represents a significant milestone in one of the more ambitious international fighter-development partnerships of recent years.

The two-seat Gripen F, developed by Saab in close cooperation with Brazilian industry, completed its maiden flight on 28 August from Saab’s airfield at Linköping in Sweden. The aircraft lifted off at 09:40 local time and remained airborne for approximately 40 minutes, marking the beginning of the flight-test campaign for the two-seat variant of the Gripen E.

At the controls were Saab chief test pilot Jakob Högberg and Brazilian Air Force test pilot Lieutenant Colonel Aviator Abdon de Rezende Vasconcelos. The choice of crew was significant, reflecting the genuinely collaborative nature of the programme rather than simply providing a Brazilian pilot with a front-row seat for what was essentially a Swedish test flight.

The initial sortie was deliberately focused on the basics, although there is nothing particularly basic about getting a new high-performance combat aircraft airborne for the first time. Saab says the flight was used to verify the functionality of the aircraft’s core systems and assess its initial flight performance. In other words, before anyone starts exploring the outer edges of the aircraft’s envelope, the engineers first need to establish that everything does what it is supposed to do, and continues doing so when the aircraft is several thousand feet above the ground.

“This first flight represents an important step forward for both Saab and the Brazilian Air Force,” said Lars Tossman, head of Saab’s Aeronautics business area. He highlighted the significance of the Swedish and Brazilian teams whose engineering work has brought the aircraft to this point, adding that the Gripen F has been designed both to accelerate pilot training and enhance operational performance during advanced combat missions.

The Gripen F is based on the single-seat Gripen E, but the addition of a second cockpit makes it considerably more than simply a Gripen E with another seat bolted in behind the pilot. The two-seat configuration has required substantial changes to the aircraft and its systems, while retaining the performance and combat capabilities expected from the latest-generation Gripen.

For Brazil, the aircraft is particularly important because the country has been deeply involved in its development. Rather than simply purchasing a finished Swedish product, Brazil has been a genuine industrial partner in the Gripen programme, with extensive technology transfer and participation in development, production, flight testing and maintenance.

More than 350 Brazilian engineers, technicians and pilots have participated in training associated with the programme. That level of involvement has given Brazil something considerably more valuable than a fleet of aircraft: experience and technical capability that can remain in the country long after the individual aircraft have entered service.

Brazil was also the launch customer for the Gripen F and played a direct role in the co-development of the two-seat variant. The arrangement has provided Brazilian industry with opportunities to participate in areas that would normally remain firmly behind the doors of the original manufacturer. It is a model that Saab has increasingly used to make the Gripen attractive to international customers, particularly those looking for industrial participation rather than simply a delivery schedule and a stack of invoices.

The maiden flight now moves the Gripen F into the airborne phase of its development and test programme. The aircraft will undergo a progressively expanding series of flight tests, beginning with the initial production acceptance flights before moving into more demanding portions of the flight envelope.

This will see the test team gradually clear the aircraft for increasing speeds, altitudes, G-loads and angles of attack. The process is deliberately incremental. Nobody in the flight-test business gets particularly excited about clearing every performance limit on day one, and for fairly obvious reasons.

At the same time, Saab will evaluate the systems and capabilities that are unique to the two-seat configuration. Particular attention will be paid to the rear cockpit and its tactical functions, ensuring that the second crew member has the information, controls and systems required to perform their intended role effectively.

The Gripen F is intended to provide an enhanced training capability, allowing pilots to develop their skills in a high-performance environment while also supporting operational missions. The second cockpit can also provide an additional crew member for complex missions, potentially reducing pilot workload and allowing the aircraft to exploit its systems and sensors more effectively.

The flight-test campaign will be conducted primarily through Saab’s Flight Test Centre in Sweden. Once the planned test activities and aircraft acceptance procedures have been completed, the Gripen F will be prepared for delivery to the Brazilian Air Force.

For Saab, the first flight is another important step in extending the Gripen family into its next phase. For Brazil, however, it represents something rather more substantial. The aircraft is the product of a partnership that has progressively transferred knowledge, skills and industrial capability across the Atlantic.

The Gripen F may therefore be a two-seat fighter, but there are effectively two stories sitting behind those two cockpits. One is the development of another sophisticated combat aircraft. The other is the continuing evolution of Brazil’s ability to design, manufacture, test and support advanced military aerospace technology.

And with the first flight now safely in the logbook, the hard part begins.