Over two thousand military personnel from Brazil and 15 other nations from across Latin America, Africa, Europe and the United States are gathered for one of the largest operational air exercises in the Southern Hemisphere, CRUZEX 2024.
Held from 3 to 15 November at the Natal Air Base in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, the exercise features over 100 combat aircraft. The main highlight of this edition is the debut of the F-39E Gripen in high-complexity scenarios.
“It is a true honour to see Gripen E’s debut at CRUZEX. We have eagerly awaited this moment marking Gripen E’s first participation in a multinational military exercise. We are delighted that this impressive inaugural event is hosted by our valued customer and partner, the Brazilian Air Force,” said Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab.
As the most advanced fighter in service in Latin America, F-39E Gripen will execute a broad range of tasks in Composite Air Operations (COMAO), where a large number of aircraft with different objectives operate simultaneously against an enemy to saturate its defences, enhancing mission efficiency.
"At CRUZEX, we are acting both as enemy and friendly forces, the latter being our primary role. In this context, we will conduct Offensive Counterair operations (OCA), in which F-39E Gripen will protect friendly forces while they carry out actions within enemy territory, as well as air operations, and Defensive Counterair operations (DCA) aimed at defending against enemy attacks,” explained Lieutenant Colonel Aviator Ramon Lincoln Santos Fórneas, commander of the 1st Air Defence Group (1º GDA), the pioneering unit to operate the Gripen in the Brazilian Air Force.
In operation since December 2022, F-39E Gripen incorporates cutting-edge technologies, some of which are unprecedented in the Brazilian Air Force, such as the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and the Infra-Red Search and Track (IRST) passive targeting sensor. These sensors, along with its manoeuvrability, performance, communication, navigation, and electronic warfare systems, position F-39E Gripen as a strategic capability for maintaining the sovereignty of Brazilian airspace.
