Brazil releases its first domestically assembled supersonic fighter jet F-39E “Eagle Lion”

Local time on March 25, the first domestically assembled supersonic fighter jet, the F-39E “Eagle Lion,” made a formal debut at Embraer’s test facility in Gaviao Peixoto, in the state of Sao Paulo. Brazilian President Lula attended the launch event. The F-39E is the first supersonic fighter jet to be assembled in Brazil, carried out through cooperation between Brazil and Sweden. The fighter has a maximum speed of about 2,400 kilometers per hour, an endurance of up to about 2.5 hours, and features in-flight refueling capability and multi-mission combat performance, enabling missions such as air defense, reconnaissance, and air-to-ground strikes. At present, the F-39E has begun entering service with the Brazilian Air Force and has been deployed to the Anapolis base, about 150 kilometers from the capital, Brasilia, to carry out air-defense alert missions. In February 2026, the aircraft entered air-defense duty status for the first time, with the capability to conduct operational missions, and is responsible for security in the capital’s airspace. Going forward, the F-39E will gradually replace the U.S.-made F-5 fighter jets and AMX attack aircraft that have been in service for decades, and become one of the mainstays of the Brazilian Air Force’s equipment. (CCTV News)