The Saab JAS 39E Gripen NG has won Brazil's FX-2 fighter competition. The country's Defence Minister Celso Amorim and Brazilian Air Force Commander Brigadier Junito Saito announced the news at a press conference on December 18. The decision follows more than a decade of considering alternatives for the requirement, which latterly came down to three shortlisted contenders: the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Dassault Rafale. The Brazilian Air Force requires 36 aircraft, worth an estimated $4.5 billion and negotiations will now get under way to finalise a contract. It is expected to be signed in around 10-12 months with first delivery anticipated 48 months from contract signature. Initially, the first 12 Gripens will replace the FAB's ten Mirage F-2000Cs and two F-2000Ds, which were leased from France as an interim fighter but the last six Mirages were retired on December 31, 2013, as they are now out of flying hours. The Mirages had been flown by 1° Grupo de Defensa Aérea/1° Esquadräo 'Jaguares' at Anâpolis, which will become the first unit to re-equip with the new Gripens. As a further stopgap, Brazil will use its modernised F-5EMs to temporarily replace the Mirages until the Gripens enter service. Prior to delivery of the new aircraft, Brazil is considering leasing existing Gripen C/Ds from the Swedish Air Force, which could be supplied much earlier than the new production Gripens to act as interim Mirage replacements.
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