Saab Aerostructures Plant in Brazil: Saab Aeronáutica Montagens
Saab Aeronáutica Montagens, the aerostructures plant in Brazil, was established in 2018, in the city of São Bernardo do Campo, a municipality of the São Paulo Metropolitan area. The fuselages for the single-seat and two-seat versions of the new Gripen fighters for the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) will be produced there.
Saab's aerostructures factory was established in 2018, in the city of São Bernardo do Campo, a municipality of the São Paulo Metropolitan area. The fuselages for the single-seat and two-seat versions of the new Gripen fighters for the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) will be produced there.
With more than 820 thousand inhabitants, São Bernardo do Campo is considered a city with a strong industrial tradition. It is also strategically located, in terms of logistics, as from the city you have an easy access to ports, airports and highways. It is in this region that the factory is located and ready to start its operations for the production of Gripen fighters in 2020.
According to its first contract, the factory will be producing tail cones, air brakes, wingboxes, forward fuselage for the single-seat and two-seat versions and the rear fuselage for the Gripen fighters of the Brazilian Air Force. In the future, the factory will be able to produce Gripen structures also for other countries in addition to the commercial aviation sector.
"Establishing the production of Gripen jet fighters in Brazil to support the continuity of the programme is part of our commitment, as well as creating new jobs and supporting the development of the local defence industry", explained Mikael Franzén, Vice-President of Marketing and Sales at Saab Aeronautics, when the factory was installed in Brazil, in 2018.
The plant is modern, dedicated to the production of the aerostructures for high-performance aircraft, and aims to serve the global aeronautical market in time. To be known for high quality production and labour, is a quality that can ennoble a region and even attract new businesses.
Currently, the aerospace plant has approximately 60 employees, including highly qualified engineers and assemblers. More than half of them have already been, or are currently participating, in trainings at Saab's facilities in Linköping, Sweden. The training programmes can vary between 12 to 24 months, and upon returning to Brazil, they will be able to pass on all the acquired knowledge onto their colleagues in Brazil.