The Brazilian company is the only partner in the aerostructures plant, where complex aerostructures will be manufactured for the Gripen fighter jet
Akaer, one of the largest and leading Brazilian companies in the aerospace engineering market, announced this Wednesday, May 9, it will be a minority shareholder with 10 percent in SAM, aerostructures plant established in São Bernardo do Campo – SP, responsible for producing complex structural parts for Gripen fighter jet acquired by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB).
Akaer is the only Brazilian company to have share ownership in SAM. Saab and Akaer have been partners since 2009 and the Brazilian company was contracted by Saab to develop parts to the fuselage of the Gripen NG fighter, even before Saab was down-selected for negotiations to re-equip the Brazilian Air Force. Since then, Akaer delivered over 550.000 engineering hours in the Gripen project, both in Brazil and in Sweden, with significant technology transfers.
Even before SAM operations starts, Akaer has been active on the implementation of the facility. On top of the all the transfer of technology occurred over the years, Akaer supported Saab to define SAM location, to hire its team, to go through all bureaucratic and legal steps, and to define the facility industrialization processes.
“That is a new milestone for Akaer. In addition to accumulating a lot of experience in a strategic project like Gripen, Akaer moves forward to consolidate itself as a Tier 1 company”, says Cesar Augusto T. Andrade e Silva, founder and CEO of Akaer.
About SAM
Saab Aeronáutica Montagens (SAM), is a 5,000-square-meter facility located in the city of São Bernardo do Campo, in São Paulo state, Brazil.
SAM will be responsible for producing six complex structural parts for Gripen acquired by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), such as the tail cone, aerodynamic brakes, wing box, front fuselage for the single-seat and two-seat versions and the rear fuselage for the single-seat version of the aircraft.
Operations starts in 2020 with 55 employees. Among them engineers and technicians, who until then will be trained in Linköping, Sweden, for up to 24 months on the industrialization process, qualification and assembly of complex fuselages, specific for the supersonic fighter in Brazil. That number will until 2024 increase to 200 highly skilled employees producing aero structures for the aircraft final assembly.
Press Agency – Rossi Comunicação
Valéria Rossi – Tel: + 55 11 9348-8562 – valeriarossi@rossicomunicacao.com.br
Karen Gobbatto – Tel + 55 11 3262-0884 – karengobbatto@rossicomunicacao.com.br
Denise Kelen – Tel + 55 12 9.8125-7800 – denisekelen@rossicomunicacao.com.br
Rossi Comunicação – Tel: + 55 11 3262-0884 – www.rossicomunicacao.com.br