At the beginning of April they will be arriving in the country two new F-39E Gripen fighters for the Brazilian Air Force. The new aircraft will be destined for the Jaguar Squadron (1st Air Defense Group), at Anápolis Air Force Base, but first they will undergo the military certification process, to be carried out at the Gripen Flight Test Center at Embraer's headquarters in Gavião Peixoto ( SP).
Also in 2015, Portal G1 obtained, through the Access to Information Law, a list of weapons and sensors that the FAB acquired for its new combat aircraft.
Initially or model it will have to carry out only air combat missions, but throughout its development it will obtain the capabilities of using air-to-ground with smart bombs.
MBDA Meteor
Meteor is a long-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) guided by active radar, already in service with the air forces of Italy, , United Kingdom, , Sweden and others. Developed by the European consortium MBDA (composed of Airbus, BAE and Leonardo), Meteor is considered the most advanced BVRAAM in operation today.
The FAB acquired 100 units of the weapon for around R$ 1,2 billion, having already received the first batch in 2021. a ramjet engine, taking the missile to Mach 4.
According to MBDA, Meteor has up to six times more kinetic energy than missiles of the same class, such as the US AIM-120 AMRAAM. In addition, the Meteor has 10 "gears", which allows it to save fuel during the flight to reach the target aircraft with the highest possible speed, reducing the enemy's chances of evasion.
IRIS-T
To complement the Meteor, the FAB also acquired the short-range, heat-guided IRIS-T missile. Development of this missile began in the 1990s to replace older versions of the AIM-9 Sidewinder, with and Italy leading the way. It is currently manufactured by Diehl Defense in partnership with Leonardo and other companies.
The IRIS-T features thrust vectoring, greatly increasing its maneuverability and making it even more lethal. Its modern search head is able to distinguish the infrared signature of a flare — a device used to defend against heat-guided missiles — and the enemy aircraft's engine.
The IRIS-T can also be used in conjunction with helmets with an integrated display (HMD), allowing the pilot to aim and fire using his own helmet. This technology is already widely used and has been present in the FAB itself since 2010, when F-5M pilots started using the HMD DASH IV from Israel's Elbit. Brazilian F-39 pilots will use the TARGO II, also from Elbit.
See more: learn about FAB F-5 armaments
SPICE 1000 and SPICE 250
For the air-to-ground missions, the FAB acquired two models of smart bombs, both manufactured by the Israeli company Rafael.
The Spice 1000 is a conversion kit, which transforms a conventional 83-pound (1000 Kg) Mk.454 bomb into a precision weapon, guided by GPS/Inertial Navigation in conjunction with TV/IR imaging. The kit also adds a pair of wings to the bomb, giving it the ability to hit a target at 100 km.
Unlike the Spice 1000, the Spice 250 is a complete system and not a conversion kit. The bomb weighs 250 pounds total, with a 75 kg fragmentation or penetration warhead. The Spice 250 is similar to the North American GBU-39 SDB, already used by Gripen C/D.
In a special hanger, the Gripen can carry up to four of these bombs which, despite being small, are very accurate, having a circular error probable (CEP) of 3 meters. In addition to Brazil and Israel, Greece, India and Colombia also purchased Spice series pumps.
Litening G4 and Reccelite XR pods
Also manufactured by Rafael, the Litening G4 and Reccelite pods will be used in ground attack and reconnaissance missions. The two sensors are already widely present in several air forces around the world, including the FAB itself, which uses it in the AMX A-1 fighter-bombers, but in older versions.
The Litening G4 is a target acquisition and ordnance guidance pod. The instrument combines TV/Infrared image sensors and a laser for identifying targets and guiding smart bombs, such as the Lizard series used by Brazil.
The images are shown to the pilot through the panoramic display in the fighter's cockpit. Having confirmed the hostile nature of the target, the pilot illuminates the target with a laser that will be followed by the bomb's search head until impact.
The Reccelite XR is a Litening version dedicated to tactical aerial reconnaissance (REC TAT) missions.
While Litening sensors are used in attack operations, Reccelite contains high resolution cameras to record different targets of interest for a future mission. After a bombing raid, reconnaissance aircraft returns to conduct on-site damage assessment.
In addition to these armaments, the Gripen also has a 27mm BK-27 cannon. The BK-27, produced by the German Ma, is a revolver-action automatic cannon. Like a handgun, the cannon has chambers (five of them) for loading.
This type of armament was developed by Ma itself during World War II, with the 213mm MK 20 cannon, which never entered service.
The BK-27 has a fire rate of up to 1700 rounds/minute with 120 rounds. However, the cannon will only be used on the single-seat F-39E variant.
