Saab's two-seat Gripen F fighter has taken to the skies for the first time. The maiden flight took place on August 28 at the company's airfield in Linköping, Sweden, at approximately 9:40 a.m. local time.
According to Saab, the aircraft remained airborne for 40 minutes. The company said the inaugural flight successfully verified the functionality of the aircraft's core systems and its initial flight performance.
Read more: Swedish Gripen Fires Taurus Cruise Missile for First Time Ahead of Schedule, Opening 350km+ Strike Capability Relevant for Ukraine's Future Fleet
The flight marks only the beginning of a much longer test campaign. The Gripen F will gradually undergo envelope expansion testing, with its limits for speed, altitude, G-load and angle of attack to be cleared step by step. At the same time, Saab will evaluate the fighter's tactical capabilities and the functions of its rear cockpit.
The Gripen F is designed primarily for pilot training and for improving operational performance during advanced combat missions. The two-seat aircraft is approximately 70 cm longer than the single-seat Gripen E.
Despite the additional cockpit, the Gripen F retains its full combat capability, including all 10 weapon stations. More importantly, the second crew member could eventually take on additional responsibilities during complex missions.
One potential role is controlling loyal wingman drones. A two-seat fighter could give the rear-seat crew member more capacity to manage unmanned aircraft while the pilot concentrates on flying the aircraft and conducting the mission.
This could become particularly important as Saab moves deeper into the development of future crewed-uncrewed combat systems.
The Gripen F itself is being developed with significant Brazilian participation. Brazil became the launch customer for the Gripen E/F family and has established extensive industrial cooperation with Sweden, including final assembly work at Embraer's facilities in Gavião Peixoto.
According to Saab, more than 350 Brazilian engineers, technicians and pilots have participated in activities related to the aircraft's development, production, flight testing and maintenance.
The maiden flight itself demonstrated the close cooperation between the two countries. Saab Chief Test Pilot Jakob Högberg flew alongside Brazilian Air Force test pilot Lieutenant Colonel Aviator Abdon de Rezende Vasconcelos.
The aircraft carried Brazilian Air Force markings and, after completing its planned testing and acceptance procedures, will be prepared for delivery to Brazil.
The first flight of the Gripen F, as well as the aircraft's overall development, is particularly relevant to Ukraine given Kyiv's plans to acquire up to 150 Gripen fighters. The first step has already been taken, with a firm agreement reportedly signed for the first 16 single-seat Gripen E aircraft.
Typically, a fighter squadron of around 12 aircraft would also require one or two two-seat aircraft for training and other operational tasks. This means that if Ukraine ultimately builds a large Gripen fleet, the Gripen F could also become relevant to the future composition of the Ukrainian Air Force.
The Swedish-Brazilian cooperation may also offer Ukraine an important model for future industrial cooperation with Saab. The company is currently developing the A3 unmanned fighter concept, potentially opening the door to future cooperation not only on conventional fighters, but also on next-generation collaborative combat aircraft.
Read more: Saab Unveils Unmanned Fighter Jet for Joint Operations with Gripen
