MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil leaning for the US F-18 Super Hornet fighter bomber, says Sao Paulo media

The Super Hornet has combat experience and is far cheaper to run than the French Rafale

The Brazilian air force, awaiting the outcome of the selection process for purchasing 36 fighter jets, is leaning toward the F-18 Super Hornet of the US, which is competing against the French Dassault Rafale and the Swedish Gripen, Istoe magazine said.

The weekly magazine published a document it attributes to the commission in charge of analyzing the three aircraft, which concludes that the Boeing F-18 is best suited to air force requirements and notes several of its advantages in terms of price and benefits.

According to the document, the least costly of the three jets being tendered is the Gripen of the Swedish firm Saab, the entire fleet being offered for 4.3 billion dollars.

However “this is an aircraft still in development and has never been tried in combat”, the commission said.

In the case of the Rafale from the French company Dassault, the 36 aircraft would cost 8.2 billion, while the Boeing F-18s would entail an outlay of 5.4 billion dollars.

According to the magazine, what goes against choosing the Rafale jets aside from its initial price is the fact that an hour's flight costs some 20.000 dollars, compared with 10.000 for the F-18s.

The document acquired by Istoe magazine says that Boeing has agreed to the technology transfer required by the Brazilian government to close the deal and has also offered to open a centre for high technology in Brazil if it gets the contract.

The tender process is currently suspended due to the government's deep budget cuts intended to ease the impact of the world economic crisis.

Nonetheless, defence authorities have stated that the final decision could be taken early next year.