Two-seat Gripen fighter completes first flight
NewsAugust 31, 2026
LINKÖPING, Sweden. Saab completed the first flight of the Gripen F, the two-seat variant of the Gripen E fighter aircraft developed with Brazilian industry, the company announced in a statement.
The aircraft flew for 40 minutes from Saab’s airfield in Linköping, with the flight used to evaluate core aircraft systems and initial flight performance, the statement reads. The Gripen F will now enter an airborne test campaign that will expand its flight envelope across speed, altitude, G-load, and angle of attack while evaluating tactical capabilities and functions associated with the rear cockpit, the company says.
The Gripen F was developed under a partnership between Sweden and Brazil that included technology transfer and participation by more than 350 Brazilian engineers, technicians, and pilots in development, production, flight testing, and maintenance activities, according to the statement. Saab will conduct the test campaign in Sweden before completing acceptance procedures and preparing the aircraft for delivery to the Brazilian Air Force.
