Manufactured by Saab, the aircraft arrived in Brazil on December 11 via the Port of Navegantes, Santa Catarina. After preparations at the airport in the same city, including the assembly of separated systems like the ejection seat, the plane undergoes ground tests before being ready for flight.
The aircraft departed from Navegantes for a 1.5-hour journey to Anápolis Air Base, piloted by Lieutenant Colonel Aviator Abdon de Rezende Vasconcelos, a test pilot from the Brazilian Air Force’s Research and Flight Testing Institute (IPEV).
The 1st Air Defense Group at Anápolis Air Base, operating Gripen fighters, now has seven aircraft, including the 4100 test aircraft conducting trials from the Gripen Flight Test Center at Embraer in Gavião Peixoto (SP) since 2020