Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Lincoln Santos Fórneas, commander of the 1st Air Defence Group (1º GDA), commented on the aircraft’s availability during the event. “We brought seven aircraft as planned, and almost every day we had all seven fighters available on the flight line,” he said. The missions included four Gripens in Composite Air Operations (COMAO) in the morning and smaller missions in the afternoon involving two aircraft.
Gripen fighters are participating in the multinational exercise CRUZEX. A mix of scenarios with up to 60 different aircraft flying together, to smaller groups practicing beyond visual range combat flights, applying tactics and using long range missiles in simulated conditions. pic.twitter.com/nSpkkmqkgO
— Saab (@Saab) November 13, 2024
During the exercise, the Gripen E was deployed in roles both as an Allied and an Opposing Force, with its systems performing as expected in complex and dynamic scenarios. According to Lieutenant Colonel Fórneas, “The electronic warfare system, the threat detection, the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, and the passive Infra-Red Search and Track (IRST) targeting sensor all worked perfectly. We were able to simulate missile launches with excellent results.”
The aircraft also integrated effectively with other platforms during large-scale missions. This included providing air superiority and escorting transport and attack aircraft formations, which were part of the COMAO operations that featured dozens of aircraft in shared airspace.
The Gripen E’s performance at CRUZEX 2024 aligns with FAB’s expectations for its role in Brazil’s air defence strategy. Saab’s advanced fighter continues to demonstrate its versatility and potential as a modern combat platform, contributing to joint operations and providing operational flexibility in diverse mission profiles.
