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The Cruzex exercise was a considerable effort for the Brazilian Air Force, which is still in the early stages of bringing the Gripen into service.
Brazil put its new Saab Gripen fighters through their paces in a major international exercise, and the type’s operations were observed closely by potential regional buyers of the aircraft.
Less than two years after deliveries began, Brazil’s F-39E Gripens—possibly the most potent combat aircraft in Latin America—flew daily air defense missions in November’s Cruzeiro do Sul Exercise (Cruzex) alongside other fighter aircraft from Brazil, Chile and the U.S., as well as other aircraft types from Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru and Portugal. Cruzex not only tested the Gripen’s logistics chain—with seven of the eight aircraft operating daily in Natal, Brazil, 1,200 mi. from their home base of Anapolis, near Brasilia—but also helped prove Saab’s much-vaunted approach to software development. The company implemented several software updates for the aircraft ahead of the drills.
The exercise took place as some of Brazil’s neighbors prepare to invest in new combat aircraft fleets. Argentina has chosen to purchase ex-Danish Lockheed Martin F-16s, while Colombia and Peru are seeking replacements for their Israel Aerospace Industries Kfirs and Dassault Mirage 2000s, respectively. The Gripen could be an option for both services. The Brazilian Air Force briefed senior officers from Colombia and Peru on the capabilities of the Gripen platform during Cruzex, and the type’s presence piqued the interest of pilots from various air forces.
- Brazil showed off its new Gripens at Cruzex exercise
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Brazil has been preparing for the Gripen’s participation in Cruzex since the beginning of the year, says Lt. Col. Ramon Lincoln Santos Forneas, squadron commander of the Brazilian Air Force’s 1st Air Defense Group, the first squadron to convert to the Gripen.
“Cruzex was a huge milestone for us to accomplish . . . even though we do not yet have all the functionality available,” Forneas tells Aviation Week.“What we had on the aircraft was more than enough for us to train and fly in Cruzex.”
Several months earlier, the service had set about writing new software for its active, electronically scanned array radar, deliberately degrading its performance for the exercise. The air force also worked on threat library data for the aircraft’s electronic warfare and self-defense suites. During the Brazilian winter in July, the Gripens took part in an internal exercise, flying against Brazil’s Northrop F-5 Tigers—the first time the country’s Gripens had flown against another type. Three weeks before the beginning of Cruzex, the seven Gripens were ferried to Natal for workups in preparation to fly in the coalition and as Red Air aggressors.
Forneas says the Brazilian Gripen fleet’s flying hours now exceed those of the test fleet in Sweden, adding that the service often discovers issues and quirks before Saab does.
Availability during Cruzex exceeded expectations, Forneas says. It was often better than that at the home base, he adds, in part because of an enlarged presence of Saab personnel supporting the exercise—a recognition perhaps of the importance of the Gripen’s Cruzex debut.
As part of the contract, pilots and technicians from Saab are supporting the squadron over the first two years of the type’s introduction.
“Even though we have this very young aircraft . . . still under development with a lot of restrictions and some operational limitations, we proved how important this aircraft will be to the future of the Brazilian Air Force,” Forneas says.
He adds that the use of the Gripen’s Raven ES-05 radar and its ability to keep targets notched while banking away from the threat is allowing the aircraft to be simultaneously “offensive but also defensive.”
Other capabilities are still some way off: The Gripens are not yet cleared to perform aerial refueling, and air-to-ground capabilities will come later. The air force is eager to build an air-to-ground capability rapidly, as the Embraer A-1M AMX retirement next year will leave the country without a ground attack jet. However, Forneas’ squadron has formed a cadre of personnel with air-to-ground experience from the AMX to help rebuild that capability once it is added to the Gripen.
Funding has delayed fighter modernization plans in Peru and Colombia for several years, although Peruvian officials say they hope to launch a tender in early 2025. On Nov. 8, Colombian President Gustavo Petro reiterated plans first announced two years ago that Bogota would replace the Kfir fleet, which has become “more dangerous” for its pilots. However, he said he does not want Colombia to become too dependent on a single nation for military equipment. Studies are still underway, he added, with a public announcement to follow.
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