France to build 36 fighter jets for Brazil
Nicolas Sarkozy is in Brazil, and has signed contracts totaling over $10 billion for the sale and technology transfer of nuclear submarines and three dozen fighter jets.
A joint statement by both countries has confirmed the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets, which would be built by French aerospace company Dassault, for $2 billion.
I have a post coming up at Real Clear World with more details, but what sealed the deal is not only the technology transfer but also that they would be built in Brazil.
Sarko may be short, but he’s doing business.
The Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean will be up first thing tomorrow morning.
Tags: Fausta's blog
September 7th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
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September 7th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
My reading of the contract is that it merely states that the two countries have agreed to negotiate how many and how much? By my count that will probably make over a dozen countries that have agreed to talk but none buying.
But the truly staggering fact is that France is now selling 36 Rafale(no designation of which one) for $2 billion while just three years ago it had a signed contract, which fell through because of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the US and the UK, with Libya to build 18 Rafales for a price of $3.24 billion. I would assume that most of these are not the M variant as Brazil because the Sao Paulo is mothballed and I haven’t seen any indication that it will be reactivated. So probably a mix of the single and double seat versions. . I detect a whiff of desperation in selling an almost twenty-five year old design at a discount of roughly 60%. Even the French don’t seem to have any use for the Rafale as going forward they will not have a catapualt capable carrier and have so few land based Rafales that it is an unknown.
The article doesn’t do a very good job of explaining what is to be purchased or transferred. Four diesel-electric subs are being sold to Brazil and then a fifth nuclear powered attack sub will be built or converted in Brazil with techology sold by France. But it is an attack sub for hunting other ships and will not have much strategic value.
September 7th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Sarkozy and Lula have signed a joint communique stating Brazil’s intention to buy those Rafales. A final decision will be delivered in late October.
http://zerohora.clicrbs.com.br/zerohora/jsp/default.jsp?uf=1&local=1§ion=Pol%EDtica&newsID=a2645392.xml
Rafale is the clear favorite for F-X2 even though Brazilian Air Force pilots are more sympathetic to the American F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. But this bid is all about politics and, in that field, French government is doing a lot better than the U.S.
BTW, one of the best analysis of F-X2 so far: http://www.weeklystandard.com/Utilities/printer_preview.asp?idArticle=16500&R=16193B81
September 8th, 2009 at 7:27 am
Interesting that O Globo calls it a done deal.
I added the Zero Hora link to my RCW post, Rodrigo. Thanks.
September 15th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
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