Saab presents first Gripen F

Saab has completed the official rollout of the first Gripen F fighter aircraft designated for the Brazilian Air Force during a ceremony held at the company's production facilities in Linköping, Sweden. The Gripen F serves as the two-seat variant of the Gripen E series, developed to unify pilot conversion training and operational combat capabilities within a single dual-cockpit platform.

The aircraft architecture mirrors the baseline performance, sensor configurations, and systems engineering of the single-seat Gripen E. The primary structural distinction is the integration of a fully independent second cockpit, which allows for instructor-guided flight operations in a fully combat-capable aircraft. This dual-seat arrangement provides trainee pilots with live mission conditions, accelerating pilot conversion and preparatory training timelines compared to traditional training cycles. For high-threat combat environments, the two-seat configuration distributes the tactical workload between the two crew members, enhancing mission command and overall operational effectiveness.

Co-Development and Technology Transfer Framework
As the launch customer for the twin-seat variant, Brazil actively participated in the co-development of the Gripen F platform, establishing long-term industrial cooperation and direct local participation. This joint engineering effort was executed under an extensive transfer-of-technology program. The initiative trained hundreds of Brazilian engineers and technicians, building advanced design, manufacturing, and development expertise within the country's national industrial defense base.

Lars Tossman, Head of Saab’s Aeronautics business area, noted that the rollout of the Gripen F is a shared industrial achievement between Saab, the Brazilian industry, and the Brazilian Air Force. Tossman stated that developing the aircraft together demonstrates the maturity of the collaboration, delivering a highly capable fighter to the Brazilian Air Force while serving as the tangible outcome of sustained joint development and shared aerospace ambitions.

Pre-Delivery Protocols and Testing
Following its formal unveiling, the initial Gripen F airframe will not be delivered directly to the customer. Instead, the aircraft will be transferred to Saab’s dedicated Flight Test Centre located in Sweden. At this facility, the platform will undergo a dedicated flight test campaign to validate its aerodynamic performance, dual-cockpit systems integration, and flight control software before final delivery to the Brazilian Air Force.

Additional Context
This section details technical specifications not included in the original news release.

The Gripen F (referred to as the F-39F within the Brazilian Air Force) features a stretched airframe compared to the single-seat Gripen E variant. To accommodate the second cockpit and its independent flight displays, the overall fuselage length has been extended by 70 cm—increasing from the Gripen E's 15.2 meters to a total length of 15.9 meters. Despite the elongated fuselage and increased structural empty weight, the Gripen F shares an identical maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 16,500 kg and utilizes the same General Electric F414G turbofan engine, which generates a maximum afterburning thrust of 98 kN.

The twin-seat variant retains the identical external payload capacity of the single-seat model, incorporating 10 hardpoints for the integration of air-to-air missiles, precision-guided air-to-surface munitions, and reconnaissance or electronic warfare pods. However, to accommodate the space requirements of the secondary cockpit station, the internal Mauser BK27 mm automatic cannon found in the single-seat Gripen E has been omitted from the Gripen F airframe.

Both crew stations are equipped with a Wide Area Display (WAD), a panoramic high-definition touchscreen interface that consolidates flight data, digital moving maps, and fused sensor tracks into a single interactive layout. The avionics architecture utilizes a segregated software model that separates flight-critical software from tactical mission applications. This separation simplifies subsequent hardware and algorithmic upgrades.

Tactical data gathering is driven by a sensor fusion suite that integrates the Raven ES-05 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, the Skyward-G Infrared Search and Track (IRST) system, and an advanced digital electronic warfare system. This network-centric architecture enables real-time, bidirectional data-link communication across tactical flight formations. The second seat allows the back-row operator to act as a dedicated Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) or Mission Coordinator, managing sensor networks, electronic countermeasures, or unmanned collaborative combat aircraft (wingmen) without disrupting the pilot's primary flight management tasks.

Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.