Saab AB chose Atech Negocios em Technologia S/A as a partner in the Brazilian Gripen Next Generation (NG or E/F) aircraft program to cover simulators, training systems, and ground support systems, Saab said Tuesday.
Saab will work with Atechto undertake on-the-job training and workshare in the Gripen NG program. In May 2016 a team of Atech engineers are set to relocate to Sweden to conduct initial training. The skills and competences they acquire there will then be transferred to Brazil.
The Saab-Atech agreement is part of Saab’s commitment to deliver industrial cooperation in the Brazilian Gripen NG program. The commitment was signed between Saab and Brazil’s Ministry of Defense through the Aeronautics Command (COMAER) in October 2014.
The Gripen NG aircraft is based on the Gripen C/D platform as a multi-role fighter. It is NATO-interoperable and is capable of using METEOR, AMRAAM, IRIS-T, and AIM-9 missiles. It uses an AESA radar, IRST passive sensor, and a helmet-mounted display (HMD), Saab said.
“We will provide technology transfer within these areas to Atech and we now welcome the first team of Atech engineers for training in developing the Gripen system”, Mikael Franzén, program director for Gripen Brazil at Saab, said in a statement.
“Atech is proud to participate together with Saab in the Gripen NG Programme. Atech has a strong history in supporting the Brazilian Air Force in technology transfer programs,” Edson Carlos Mallaco, president and CEO of Atech, said in a statement.
“Our participation represents a consolidation of Atech expertise in areas as Mission Planning and Simulation Systems. We are ready to join forces with Saab, working as an integrated team and to support the Brazilian Air Force on its long-term needs,” Mallaco added.
The Gripen line of fighters is produced by Saab. The Saab-Brazil contract of 2014 directed the company to develop and produce 36 aircraft for Brazil’s military. The contract came into effect in September 2015, when it was valued at $4.7 billion (Defense Daily, Sept. 10, 2015).