RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Two new F-39E Gripen fighters, acquired by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) out of 36 ordered, arrived on board a Dutch-flagged vessel at the port of Navegantes in southern Brazil.
After unloading the fighters, designated FAB 4101 and 4102, and assembling the landing gear wheels, Saab and FAB technical teams towed the aircraft through the streets of Navegantes to the local airport, a very short but challenging journey.
The movement of the two aircraft called on several armed security forces, who set up a perimeter around the two aircraft. In addition, several personnel was on standby to secure the roads leading up to the Gripen’s entry into the airport courtyard.
The two aircraft attracted the public’s attention, who registered the transfer despite the persistent rain that fell throughout the night.
Although the transfer went according to plan, one aircraft grazed a road sign with its wingtip and suffered a mishap when it entered the airport’s side gate while the plane was in front of it.
The two fighters, now sheltered in a hangar, will undergo a thorough overhaul of all systems and be prepared for mandatory taxi and runway tests for subsequent flight launches.
Once ready, both are scheduled to take off for Gavião Peixoto, where the largest Embraer plant in Brazil is located.