Brazilian Air Force Puts F‑39 Gripen on Alert to Guard Brasília for the First Time

Overview

• FAB confirmed that an F‑39 Gripen entered air‑defence alert on February 24, enabling real‑world interceptions to protect the capital’s airspace.
• Ten aircraft are operational with the 1st Air Defence Group at Anápolis, about 150–160 km from central Brasília, allowing rapid scrambles in a few minutes.
• The contract signed in 2014 provides 36 fighters to be delivered through 2032 at roughly US$4 billion, with technology transfer and partial production in Brazil involving companies such as Embraer.
• Recent milestones in Brazil include in‑flight refuelling, a long‑range missile launch, the first aerial cannon firing on national territory, and safe bomb‑separation tests.
• The Gripen fleet begins replacing aging F‑5s while bringing multirole capability for air defence, strike and reconnaissance as part of Project F‑X2.