March 25 (UPI) -- Brazil has become the first Latin American country to manufacture a supersonic fighter jet, unveiling the F-39E Gripen, assembled domestically as part of a broader effort to modernize its air force.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attended the aircraft's naming ceremony in São Paulo state Wednesday. The jet is produced by Brazilian aerospace company Embraer in partnership with Sweden-based Saab, according to Agência Brasil.
The F-39E Gripen is part of a modernization program that includes the transfer of Swedish technology and direct participation of Brazilian engineers in its development and production.
The aircraft is intended to replace aging, U.S.-made F-5 fighter jets that have been in service since the 1970s.
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