Saab Gripen E and Embraer KC-390 Millennium complete air-to-air refuelling certification flights

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Gripen E and KC-390 Millennium air-to-air refuelling certification

Integration and interoperability between Saab’s new Gripen E fighters and Embraer’s KC-390 Millennium transport aircraft have reached another milestone. Both companies have confirmed the completion of refuelling flights intended to certify this capability on both platforms, with support from the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) throughout the process.

In recent years, Saab and Embraer have strengthened their industrial relationship around the Gripen E and KC-390 programmes, with the flight-test campaign to certify the air-to-air refuelling capability representing an essential step. The new Gripen E is transitioning to become the leading and most advanced combat platform of the Brazilian and Swedish air forces. The same is true of the KC-390 in the transport sector, underlined by Stockholm’s confirmed purchase of new aircraft.

Flight testing and operational compatibility

The certification flights were carried out at Embraer’s facilities in Gavião Peixoto, home to the new Gripen Flight Test Centre, and were coordinated by the Brazilian Air Force’s Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA).

The work brought together Embraer, Saab and FAB pilots and engineers for the certification sorties, which pursued two principal objectives. Firstly, “to qualify the Gripen E as a receiver aircraft for air-to-air refuelling, a key step in validating the fighter’s performance, stability and structural integrity throughout the operation”, as Embraer explained in its official statement. Secondly, “…to verify the compatibility of both aircraft across the KC-390’s entire flight envelope, for high-speed refuelling in both daytime and night-time conditions”.

The certification is also significant for the KC-390’s future entry into service with the Swedish Air Force, which selected the Brazilian transport aircraft to replace its ageing C-130 Hercules fleet. The platform is expected to become the future backbone of Sweden’s tactical airlift capability.

The results of the certification campaign will therefore be submitted to the Swedish Military Aviation Authority (SE-MAA) for assessment and analysis, with the aim of validating them and ensuring that the aircraft meet the required international standards. This is particularly relevant as the C-390 is also being acquired by other European air forces, many of which belong to NATO, including the Netherlands, Lithuania and the Czech Republic.

Official statements

“This important milestone confirms the KC-390’s unmatched qualities as a tanker aircraft and further strengthens our partnership with Saab and the Brazilian Air Force. In addition, the KC-390’s unique multi-mission capability, which allows the aircraft to be converted into a tanker within hours, provides unparalleled flexibility to air forces worldwide,” said Walter Pinto Júnior, Chief Operating Officer of Embraer Defense & Security.

“This achievement reflects the high degree of integration between the teams involved. Verifying air-to-air refuelling is a highly significant technical milestone for our business, as it demonstrates that the Gripen E has reached a new level of operational range. The success of this campaign further reinforces the strategic partnership between Brazil and Sweden, as well as Brazil’s role within the Gripen programme’s global ecosystem,” stressed Mikael Olsson, Saab’s Head of Flight Test.

“The verification of air-to-air refuelling between the KC-390 and the F-39 Gripen represents the success of cooperation that transcends borders. It is the result of a joint effort combining Swedish technology, Brazilian engineering and the operational excellence of the Brazilian Air Force,” stated Colonel Aviator George Luiz Guedes de Oliveira.

Photographs: Embraer.