With the Embraer C-390 Millennium, Sweden will benefit from a NATO interoperable aircraft and synergies with other European countries in support and training.
The Royal Swedish Air Force operates five C-130Hs and one KC-130H, some of the world’s oldest Hercules still in service. Although the number of C-390 to be acquired was not confirmed, it is likely that it will be on a one-to-one basis.
Sweden will be the sixth NATO nation to operate the C-390 along with Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Netherlands and Portugal and will benefit from the synergies present in Europe in terms of training facilities, support and logistics.
Embraer already has a long-term partnership with Sweden, and on 9 November the Brazilian Minister of Defence José Múcio and Swedish Minister of Defence Pål Jonson signed a letter of intent to purchase more Saab Gripens. Brazil is likely to purchase nine additional Saab JAS 39 E/F Gripen multirole fighters, in addition to the 36 ordered in 2014.
Eight Gripens from the 2014 order have arrived in Brazil to date, with the first declared operational in December 2022. The final F-39 Gripens are to be assembled by Embraer in Gavião Peixoto. Nearly two years after being introduced into active service with the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) 1º Grupo de Defesa Aérea at Anápolis Air Base, near Brasília, its F-39E Gripen participation in CRUZEX 2024 was its first international exercise.
The Grupo’s commander said that expectations were surpassed, especially regarding availability. Seven aircraft took part in the exercise and almost every day all seven fighters were available on the flight line. The Composite Air Operations (COMAO) missions involved six F-39E Gripens each day.
“Whether acting as an Allied or an Opposing Force, the integration and performance of the systems were exceptional, showcasing the F-39E Gripen’s capabilities as a modern weapons platform. 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,” added Lt Col Fórneas.
by David Oliver
