US puts pressure on Brazil to purchase Boeing’s F 18 Super Hornets
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.
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there is no guarantee that the us will not impede future resales & support.
Once? when? 100 year ago? Do you really believe the Kirchners and the majority of the people think about fighter jets (what they know they can't afford) instead of food and pay off it's enormous public and foreign debt? come on..get real. Argentina doesn't have the capabilities to build on their own jets.
Once? when? 100 year ago?...Not quite 100 years ago, may be 60 or so do a bit of research on it.
As per their capability to built... The know-how is there and the technology transfer including infrastructure is possible, but it requires the correct "political government" to let the experts decide what logistics and strategic development plan is needed. (i.e Lockheed-Martin). I like what Brazil id doing, they are on the right track to become a world power!
If Argentina wants to survive, they simply accept that Brazil is taking the lead in the Southern Cone, just move on and get closer to Brazil, because it's happening. Clean up the government, stop wasteful spending and stop with the idiotic economic policies that keeps the nation in the deep red (red ink on the balance sheets) hole and stop fooling yourself. Haven't they learned their lesson from what happened in December 2001? Don't they learn now how the States is also fooling themself and thaty are actually doing the same to themself? I'm sure there are Argentines who think, enough, I just want to have a life and don't need things we cannot afford. So not, they just stay as what is now..a territory for sale for foreigners who are interested.
second, they 'were" designing. and? On paper? gee. Never found and stil cannot find one jet made in argentina. Why? Never happened than only on paper..oh and some test machines. They never had an industry what Brazil now haves and never will.
Third, today, they are "way" behind Brazil, and I bet for one dollar that they won't even be close to them, ever. They are just not capable and they are loosing talent. Does it matter? no..nobody cares about Argentina. As I typed before, it's a land for sale for foreigners who are only interested, but i forgot to type in their natural recourses.
The first ever Latin-American fighter jet was designed by famous French aircraft designer Émile Dewoitine in 1946, flying in 1947. Although it used the new jet technology, it was otherwise much like a 1939 piston engine fighter in key respects, such as the straight wing, rounded tail and basic cockpit. The design was a failure; underpowered and unremarkable in performance, it was also difficult to maintain and operate.
But Peron switched his attention to building nukes...
"I just hope the sale can be blocked by the US congress, Lula and his buddy Chavez don´t need jets that the US Navy will just have to shoot down one day. "
Travis, where do you get your news from? Disney channel? The GOP and DEMS are lobbying hard to sell those jets to Brazil. Why? They want to be much closer to Brazil. They don't care about Lula, he's just temporary besides, they have excellent contact with him. Even if Brazil pick for the rafale, they will stay close friends then ever. Why? The US needs Brazil if they have to stop Chavez, thought i doubt that will ever happen, because Idiot Chavez is destroying himself.
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