According to Defense Express, this approach is similar to how Brazil implemented Gripen localization, providing a useful benchmark for Ukraine.“The only way to get these aircraft on time is to localize their production in Ukraine,” Defense Express says, citing the limitations of Saab’s Linköping plant, which is already occupied with Swedish Air Force orders and existing export contracts.The Swedish government has reportedly confirmed the possibility of such localization, provided that Ukraine identifies a suitable industrial partner. Defense Express notes that this is standard practice for large Gripen sales, as demonstrated by Brazil’s first contract in 2014.In that $5.4 billion contract, Brazil purchased 36 Gripen fighters: 28 single-seat JAS 39E and eight two-seat JAS 39F. Saab’s partner in Brazil was Embraer, known for its passenger and transport aircraft as well as the Super Tucano propeller plane. Defense Express says that of these 36 fighters, Sweden produced only 13 completely, eight were assembled from kits by Embraer, and the remaining 15 were assembled domestically in Brazil with active Saab support.Moreover, Brazil itself produced a number of components for the Gripen, with around 60 individual technologies transferred from Sweden. “This process involved both technical know-how and significant workforce training,” Defense Express says.In 2015, 350 Brazilian engineers went to Sweden for practical training. By 2016, the Gripen Design and Development Network (GDDN) science and technology center was established at Embraer, where Swedish and Brazilian specialists worked together. The Saab Aeronáutica Montagens plant opened in 2018 in São Bernardo do Campo to produce tail fairings, aerodynamic brakes, wing boxes, and fuselage sections, which were later assembled at Embraer’s Gavião Peixe facility. However, Defense Express notes, Saab’s plant only became operational in 2020, and Embraer’s assembly line opened in May 2023.The Brazilian experience highlights potential challenges. Domestic political crises, corruption investigations abroad, technological hurdles, and unforeseen events like the COVID-19 pandemic caused major delays. The contract, originally expected to be completed in 2024, is still ongoing. Brazil received its first Gripen in 2019, the first assembly kits arrived in 2023, and so far about 10 aircraft have been delivered. Defense Express reports that Brazil is now preparing its first fully domestically built Gripen for delivery.Despite these delays, the project is moving forward. “Even 36 aircraft were assumed to be only the first batch,” Defense Express says, noting that Sweden plans to utilize Embraer’s production capacity for contracts with Colombia and Peru as well.For Ukraine, Defense Express emphasizes, the Brazilian model offers clear lessons on workforce training, technology transfer, and phased production—a roadmap that could make domestic Gripen production feasible, albeit with realistic expectations about timing.