A Swedish company announced a partnership with Portuguese industrial group Vangest to produce eight complex parts in Portugal for Gripen E/F fighters. The Swedish jet is among the options to renew the Portuguese Air Force's F-16 fleet.
The Portuguese industrial group Vangest, best known for moulds and plastic parts for various sectors and which has been expanding in the aerospace sector, is going to produce components for Saab's Gripen fighter jets.
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In a statement, the company explains that the "partnership is part of Saab's work to expand its international manufacturing network and strengthen the production capacity of the Gripen E/F".
The agreement covers the production of eight complex components for Gripen E/F fighter jets at the group's facilities in Marinha Grande, north of Lisbon, and is expected to create "new skilled jobs" in the region.
The Swedish company justifies the partnership with Vangest's "advanced manufacturing capabilities and experience", in an alliance that also has the potential for "expansion in the coming years".
"With Vangest, we are expanding our manufacturing network and strengthening production capacity, while at the same time giving Portuguese industry a concrete role in the Gripen programme," said Johan Segertoft, head of Saab's Gripen business unit, quoted in the company's statement, stressing how the cooperation reaffirms Saab's commitment "to the development of Portugal's aerospace industry".
The value of the deal, including the investment involved, the number of components to be produced or realistic estimates of the number of jobs created, was not specified, nor was the start date for production.
The announcement comes at a time when the launch of the process to renew the Portuguese Air Force's F-16s is awaited. The Gripen fighters are one of the fighter jet models mentioned as a possible purchase option for the Portuguese government.
In Wednesday's statement, the Swedish company says that the selection of its model "would offer more opportunities" to deepen the cooperation now announced, aiming at the "development of Portugal's aerospace and defence industry and strengthening its role in the European defence industrial landscape".