Saab promotes Gripen E production proposal for the Portuguese Air Force

As the Portuguese Air Force assesses options to replace its existing F-16 fighter fleet, Swedish manufacturer Saab is working to advance its Gripen E offer through a local-production proposal, centred in particular on collaboration with Portuguese firm OGMA. Local media reports indicate that the companies have already signed a Memorandum of Understanding intended to shape an arrangement resembling the one previously agreed with Embraer - OGMA’s majority shareholder - for the aircraft chosen by the Brazilian Air Force. Such an agreement could enable Lisbon to bring an extensive network of domestic industrial participants into the programme.

Saab proposes local Gripen E production in Portugal

Although no formal procurement process has yet been launched, Saab representatives have said that the Gripen E would be an “excellent product” for equipping the Portuguese Air Force. They also noted that the service already knows the company’s reliability, as it operates other Saab-built systems. Gripen business vice-president Daniel Boestad was among those making this case, saying that while Lisbon has not reached a final decision, Saab is prepared to permit in-country aircraft production. As he put it: “OGMA has great potential to produce the Gripen.”

It remains unclear how many fighter aircraft the Portuguese Air Force might eventually acquire, should it proceed, or what weapons and integrated systems they would carry. Boestad said it was therefore not currently possible to establish the level of investment Portugal would require to buy the Gripen E, but referred to the examples of Thailand and Brazil. Thailand confirmed the acquisition of four aircraft in August 2025 for approximately €495 million, whereas Brazil purchased 36 aircraft for around €3.87 billion.

Gripen E adaptability and software integration

Arguing for the Gripen E’s suitability as a Portuguese fighter, Boestad said: “It is a completely different aircraft, one of the most important and modern. I’m not referring only to flying fast or turning quickly, but to the ability to adopt new technologies (…) The speed of change, the speed of adaptation, is key for the future. That was the main factor when designing this aircraft. We designed the Gripen’s computer systems in a completely different way from other aircraft in order to implement these changes very quickly.”

Saab considers this capability especially significant in its promotion of the combat aircraft, particularly when set against its US rivals, including the stealth F-35 fighter. The executive said the crucial distinction was that a customer could define the software programmes it wished to integrate into the fighter, after which engineers could complete the required modifications so they were available in days instead of months or years.

The F-35 candidacy as an alternative

While Saab promotes the Gripen E as the Portuguese Air Force’s next fighter aircraft, Lockheed Martin has also been advancing its F-35 offer. It benefits from substantial backing from Washington, which is expected to place greater pressure on Lisbon once a decision is due. As previously reported, the introduction of this platform would be seen favourably because it could align Portugal’s capabilities with those of numerous European nations that have selected it as their future fighter. It could also provide greater interoperability and make any eventual process to introduce a sixth-generation aircraft easier.

Nevertheless, the US stealth fighter faces several hurdles already highlighted by Portuguese military authorities, including factors extending beyond technical and economic matters alone. As reported last December, General Cartaxo Alves, Chief of Staff of the Portuguese Air Force, said in an interview that F-35 delivery times would be lengthy if it were selected. He also stated that its acquisition and operating costs would be considerably higher than those of the Swedish candidate.

This would clearly influence both the final number of aircraft that could be bought and their eventual operational role, restricting the force’s ability to carry out its missions. In that interview, General Alves did not confirm the number of aircraft to be acquired, but cited a range of 14 to 28 units. By his estimates, this would entail investment of between €3 billion and €4.8 billion, still under the €5 billion the government was prepared to allocate to the programme.

A third contender: the Eurofighter Typhoon

Alongside what seem to be the strong Gripen and F-35 bids, Portugal is considering a third option: Airbus’s Eurofighter Typhoon. By the end of October last year, the company disclosed that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Portuguese Aeronautics, Space and Defence Industries Cluster (AED Cluster Portugal) to develop its proposal. Airbus said it was ready to begin the studies needed to establish a plan that would also involve local companies in aircraft production.

At that point, the Eurofighter consortium was seeking to build on the momentum from Germany’s purchase of 20 additional aircraft and the aircraft included in Spain’s Halcón I and Halcón II programmes, which correspond to the platform’s Tranche 4 and 5 variants. It had also secured a further export achievement beyond the central group of European nations that originally developed the aircraft: the United Kingdom’s sale of 20 units to Turkey, following British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Ankara.

Images used for illustrative purposes.

You may also be interested in: The Portuguese Air Force aims to expand its Black Hawk fleet with the search for four new units