The Brazilian government launched the process to buy at least 36 fighter jets as part of a broader plan to modernize its Air Force and in keeping with neighbors like Venezuela, Chile and Peru, which are also in the process of overhauling their fleets.

According to Brasília sources, Brazil wants to buy and build equipment to defend offshore oil assets and the porous Amazon border threatened by armed drug-traffickers, smugglers and foreign guerrillas.

In February, Colombia ordered 24 Kfir bomber jets from Israel, while Venezuela acquired Russian Sukhoi jets and last month revealed it is considering buying more. Chile bought new Boeing F-16s and Peru decided to upgrade its jets. Argentina has also announced plans to upgrade its air force.

Upon taking office in January 2003, President Lula da Silva scrapped plans to replace aging Mirage jets, saying he would use the money to feed the poor.

Now, the Air Force wants a multi-role fighter to replace its entire fleet of fighter jets over the next 15 years. That could increase the size of the order to more than 100 aircraft.

Six manufacturers figure in the possible list of procurement from which he Brazilian Air Force requested information according to the service press department. They are Boeing's F-18 Super Hornet; Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II; Dassault's Rafale; Sukhoi's SU-35, Saab's Gripen and Eurofighter's Typhoon.

Brazil is seeking a generous technology transfer package, possibly including local assembly, to help develop its own aviation industry and perform maintenance of the aircraft.

Brazil has been leading an effort to create a South American Defense Council to help coordinate arms purchases. Though many of its neighbors have recently renewed their fleets, some manufactures still see Brazil as a possible regional defense hub.

Mercopress

Comments (16)

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Brazil is seeking a generous technology transfer package, possibly including local assembly, to help develop its own aviation industry
written by ch.c., July 06, 2008

nut....but....but......in many other articles and comments we could read how advanced your Embraer planes were !!!!

strange that now Embraer is not even on the list of possible suplliers.

Furthermore it is quite funny to read that Brazil has been leading an effort to create a South American Defense Council to help coordinate arms purchases....while the next words state......Though many of its neighbors have recently renewed their fleets !

In other words you CANNOT lead when you are lagging....by definition !
But coming from a pretentious Brazil......this is normal !
This is called the Braziiian Inferiority Complexion.

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need to think that one out a bit
written by Forrest Allen Brown, July 06, 2008

how many runways does brasil have that will handle the planes ,
how long will it take to train the repair men and polits

how much money will it be over the next 20 years .

and why no jump jest for jungle fighting or the old sandies from the 80 are a prop fob but grate for jungle fighting
along with the A 10 all of thies can work on limited runways

how many poor will loose there food money to buy arms

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Dead right Forrest !
written by ch.c., July 06, 2008

Fighter jets have no value to fight drug traffickers or foreign guerillas.
But if you refer to many previous articles of the Amazon, Brazil strongly believe that the USA will invade it !!!!!

Quite funny but so it is.

Brazilians are simply paranoïacs....on top of being idiots !

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...
written by João da Silva, July 06, 2008

Brazil strongly believe that the USA will invade it !!!!!

Wrong. IMHO, the Canucks are the biggest threat to our sovereignty. We have all the evidence to prove it.

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...
written by jon, July 06, 2008

That is right Joao,

We want to plant Maple trees in tha Amazon to have a Brazilian line of maple sryup

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Jon
written by João da Silva, July 06, 2008

We want to plant Maple trees in tha Amazon to have a Brazilian line of maple sryup

Ah, maple trees in the tropical hell?. Never heard of it.Probably you guys intend utilizing Swiss technology?

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What a waste of money...
written by Dr. Angelito , July 08, 2008

Why not use that money to build a Robotic Wageless Economy ?

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USA loosing influence in South America.
written by Michel Tr, July 08, 2008

The US has lost grip on South America because of the lengthy war in Irak and Afghanistan. So it is using the old divide and conquer strategy by training and financing guerrillas on the continent and weaken the Powers in place. Columbia did shoot missile(s) on a guerrilla camp not long ago, so Brazil wants to do the same and fighters with a good missile system do a fairly good job in no time. If they want to harmonize their air force with the other players, they will go for Sukhoi which is much more flexible on knowledge sharing and assembly plant location. They already do it with many countries around the world.
Brazil does not fear an open US invasion but Venezuela does and that's why the union for a South American defense force pushed by the populists.

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...
written by dlong, July 08, 2008

Brazilians should be worried about the Puerto Ricans. They have developed several highly trained Commando Special Forces led by Gringo Rangers using domesticated Chupacabra. These units are capable of flying into villages deep in the jungle without any support from the Air Force. They have been trained to steal the highest value Brazilian Samba and Cha Cha music and rerecord it on Gringo labels thereby destroying the Brazilian economy. Fighter jets will not deter these highly trained units only Black Magic and the use of dead and rancid chickens will stop these Chupacabra Commandos.

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...
written by bell, July 08, 2008

war and rumors of war

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Communists rule all Latin America now.
written by Marcos from Brazil, July 08, 2008

The use of an American invasion threat is an old formula from the Left and the communists from PT (Workers Party), the ruling party in Brazil. Nobody believes in this nonsense, except the Communists behind the propaganda. On the contrary, the Leftists are practically giving away the Amazon to the United Nations and the NGOs. They are the worse traitors of Brazil.
PT also has an alliance with the other Leftist countries in South America, including the FARC terrorist group, thru the Forum de Sao Paulo organization. So, there is no sense in thinking that anyone believes their partners are a threat. They are together in the Communist take over of the continent.
The plan to buy the planes must be ann appeasement to parts of the Military who still believe in sovereignity. But notice that this is all talk, nothing has been done yet.

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Marcus from Brazil
written by João da Silva, July 08, 2008

Communists rule all Latin America now.

You have a point there, Marcus. Thanks for reinforcing my line of thoughts. It is fashionable and politically correct to be a lefty these days!

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Da!
written by Darth Vader, July 10, 2008

Da! Amerikuns are bad people! Lets get 'em!
Let us invade them and destroy them!
Victory is mine, I mean ours, oh, ok, I just want what America has

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S. America buying jets
written by Gerry Frederics, July 10, 2008

I live in South America and witness their social problems daily. This is a place in which the top 10 percent of the population of have everything and the rest are at best scraping by while having their very souls murdered by American sewer-culture. What in hell do they need fighter jets for? This is sheer insanity Ah ya, I forgot, they must counter the threat from Iran! LoL´s! Gerry Frederics

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VIEWS ON COMMENTS BY CH.C CRITICIZING BRAZIL
written by AUGUSTUS, July 10, 2008

THE OFFENSIVE COMMENTS MADE BY THIS CH.C IN VARIOUS FORUMS JUST DEMONSTRATE THAT HE IS THE MAIN IDIOT HERE
YET, I MUST AGREE WITH THE "IDIOT" IN ONE THING, BRAZILIANS ARE POSSIBLY ALSO IDIOTS, BUT NOT FOR THE REASONS MENTIONED. BRAZILIANS TEND TO BE TOO NICE TO EVERY ONE... BEHAVING INDEED LIKE NAIVE CHILDREN.... THEY SHOULD HAVE ALREADY AREMED THEMSELVES TO THEIR TEETH AND BE READY AGAINST THE PRETENTIONS OF VIRULENT MARXISTS IN VENEZUELA AS WELL AS ITS PUPPETS IN ECUADOR, BOLIVIA AND CUBA (PROBABLY ONE OF THE COUTRIES OF ORIGIN OF CH.C). IT WOULD BE SILLY TO TRY TO CREATE A DEFENSE AGAINST THE USA. NOT ONLY BECAUSE THERE WOULD BE NO DEFENSE AGAINST SUCH GREATER POWER, BUT MAINLY BECAUSE THERE WOULD BE NO REASON... THE USA HAS "MUCH BIGGER FISH TO FRY" AND MUCH MORE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT THE MINOR AFFAIRS OF SOUTH AMERICA.

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Bo
written by Shelly1F, July 27, 2008

Here maybe Brazilians will be more paranoid that the Brazilian NAVY is actually training alongside American Navy. I guess news like these don't get published for a reason. In Brazil, as you know, the press likes sensationalist news, if Brazilians were so nationalistic and so concerned about each other's well being, then Brazil would be a better place to live.

http://www.mercopress.com/vernoticia.do?id=13330&formato=HTML

"US nuke carrier in S. Atlantic exercises with Argentine Navy

The huge nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington has reached Argentine waters ready to begin annual naval exercises with its Argentine counterpart in the South Atlantic

The 2008 edition, named Gaucho-Gringo is described by the Buenos Aires media as an excellent opportunity for the Argentine navy Super Etandards to operate from a carrier since the country no longer has the 25 de Mayo and is limited to joint practices with the Brazilian navy carrier Sao Paulo.

This is the third time in 20 years that the US Navy participates with nuclear carriers, (Kitty Hawk and Ronald Reagan) in exercises with South American navies.

This year’s Unitas exercise edition begun in Brazilian waters, with the participation of Brazilian, US and Argentine vessels and now continues with Argentina playing the leading role.

In Buenos Aires the fact naval exercises are taking place is seen as a significant improvement in military relations with the US, which foundered when Washington insisted on the President Nestor Kirchner administration that Argentina should support and approve special congressional immunity for US troops."

1) The Amazon is internationalized because BRAZIL allowed it to happen, meaning that economic interests are above the individual and biodiversity.

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