MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US puts pressure on Brazil to purchase Boeing’s F 18 Super Hornets

President Barak Obama has a “special interest” in the six billion USD contract

United States president Barak Obama has a special interest in the sale of 36 fighter aircraft Brazil has announced it plans to purchase and would consider a “disappointment” if the contract goes to any of its competitors (France or Sweden), said Ellen Tauscher Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security.

The Brazilian Air Force is expected to make an official announcement on the aircraft selected late this month.

“It would be a disappointment for United States. We will continue being good friends with Brazil if we don’t win the contract but honestly it would be a pity if Brazil does not take advantage of the best aircraft and the best opportunity”, said Tauscher.

US Boeing has offered to sell Brazil 36 Super Hornet F-18, while Sweden is competing with the Grippen from Saab and France with Dassault’s Rafale.

So far the French company has the upper hand following the September contract with France for the technology transfer and construction of five submarines, one of them nuclear powered.

“We have the best aircraft with the best technology to transfer to Brazil. President Barak Obama is particularly interested in the sale and it’s a great opportunity to continue advancing in the excellent relations with Brazil”, Ms Tauscher is quoted in the O Estado de Sao Paulo.

At the time of the naval contract signed with French president Nicolas Sarkozy, President Lula da Silva said he favoured the French offer because Brazil could then sell aircraft with French technology to other Latinamerican countries.

Brazil also recalls that in 2005 Washington vetoed the sale of Brazilian manufactured Super Tucano fighters to Venezuela since they had US avionic components.

However Ms Tauscher brushed aside that the administration of President Obama would have the same attitude as the previous Republican administration of George Bush.

“This is a new administration, and a new sale. We can guarantee the transfer of Boeing technology, the world’s main aerospace industry corporation. And we still are the United States of America”.

She added that if Brazil chooses Boeing “it will ensure that relations between both countries are even deeper and more dynamic”.

The purchase with technology transfer is part of the Brazilian National Defence Strategy launched by President Lula da Silva with the purpose of increasing patrolling in the Amazon and along the 8.000 kilometres of coast, where in 2007, mega-reserves of hydrocarbons have been discovered, possibly some of the world’s largest and most promising.

According to the Brazilian press the aircraft contract involves six billion US dollars and is part of Brazil’s aspiration of developing a strong defence industry with its own technology in the coming ten years.