A Saab aerostructures plant now under construction in Brazil to support Gripen fighter production also will expand the capacity of Saab’s global supply chain, the Swedish manufacturer says on 9 May.
The company is now setting up the office for the 5,000-square-meter facility operated by the Saab Aeronáutica Montagens (SAM), in São Bernardo do Campo, a suburb of São Paulo, says Marcelo Lima, SAM's director-general.
The ownership of SAM will be controlled by Saab with a 90% share. São Jose dos Campos-based Akaer, an engineering services company founded by former Embraer engineers, owns 10% of SAM.
Saab founded SAM to build six major structural components for the Brazilian air force’s Gripen fighter. The components are the tail cone, aerodynamic brakes, wing box and front fuselage for the single-seat and two-seat versions of the Gripen. SAM also will produce the rear fuselage for the single-seat version.
The plant is scheduled to begin operations in 2020 with 55 workers in São Bernardo do Campo, Saab says. Four years later, a planned production ramp-up will require a workforce of about 200 employees.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
