Aerostructures factory
São Bernardo do Campo (SP)
Established in 2018 in the city of São Bernardo do Campo, part of the São Paulo Metropolitan Region, this is Saab’s first aerostructures factory outside Sweden. At this facility, the tail cone, air brakes, and both the front and rear fuselage sections for the Gripen E are being produced.
Covering an area of 5,000 m², Saab’s aerostructures factory operates using the same tooling, software, concepts, and technologies employed at the production site in Linköping, Sweden. This eliminates the need for paper documentation on the shop floor, reducing environmental impact and ensuring that only authorised personnel have access to sensitive information, thus maintaining operational confidentiality. In addition, processes are optimised through the use of digital technologies, such as the Model-Based Definition (MBD) method in the manufacturing of parts.
The factory is part of Saab’s global supply chain for the Gripen E and began operations in June 2020 with the production of the tail cone and air brakes. In 2022, Saab completed the production of the first forward fuselage for the Gripen E – one of the aircraft’s most complex components, housing the ejection seat, flight controls such as the stick and pedals, canopy, AESA radar, cockpit displays, and avionics. In June 2023, the first rear fuselage of the Gripen fighter was completed. This component was part of the first national batch of aerostructures delivered to Embraer in Gavião Peixoto, where the Gripen production line in Brazil is located.
Establishing local production of the aircraft to support the continuity of the programme is part of Saab’s commitment, as is creating highly skilled jobs and supporting the development of the local defence industry.