Boeing Studies Bid For Brazil Fighter Contract

[tigershark]

Boeing Studies Bid For Brazil Fighter Contract
March 13, 2008: 10:15 AM EST
 SAO PAULO -(Dow Jones)- Boeing Co. (BA) is studying a possible bid for the contract to provide new fighter planes to the Brazilian Air Force, the local O Estado de S. Paulo newspaper reported Thursday.

Boeing Integrated Defense Systems executive Joseph T. McAndrew is in Brazil to discuss the local air forces needs.

"My intention is to build relationships. Boeing has been absent from Brazil. We want to be a provider of complete solutions," McAndrew told the local newspaper.

Brazil's government is looking to by 24 to 36 jets as parts of its FX-2 program.

Boeing intends to present a new configuration of the F-18 Super Hornet.

Other firms that have expressed an interest in the contract including Russia's Sukhoi, Saab AB's (SAAB-B.SK) Gripen and France's Dassault Aviation (12172.FR).

The Brazilian Defense Ministry is demanding technology transfer as a condition of conceding the contract. However, the only company to show willingness to share its technology so far has been Dassault, said the report.

The FX project was originally announced in August 2001, postponed in 2003, canceled in 2005 and then reinstated in 2007.

Link
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200803131015DOWJONESDJONLINE000725_FORTUNE5.htm

[Webmaster]

Argh, Boo-ing! Brazil needs range and speed! Too bad they're not producing a new variant of the single-seat F-15, that would have been a better contender.

On the tech transfer requirement, interesting:
F-18 = no, 0
F-16 = no, 0
F-35 = no, 0
Gripen = yes, 1
Rafale = yes, 1
Typhoon = yes, 1
Su-35 = maybe, 1/2

Acq Costs? Operating costs? Financial pro-conditions?
F-18 = no, yes, yes, 2
F-16 = yes, yes, yes, 3
F-35 = no, yes, yes, 2
Gripen = yes, yes, yes, 3
Rafale = yes, no, yes, 2
Typhoon = no, no, yes, 1
Su-35 = yes, no, no, 1

Requirements fit? Political fit?
F-18 = no, yes, 1
F-16 = yes, yes, 2
F-35 = yes, yes, 2
Gripen = no, no, 0
Rafale = yes, yes, 2
Typhoon = yes, no, 1
Su-35 = yes, no, 1

Let's tally up scores. Probablility imho:
F-18 = 3 = low
F-16 = 5 = high
F-35 = 4 = medium
Gripen = 4 = medium
Rafale = 5 = high
Typhoon = 3 = low
Su-35 = 2.5 = low

Looks like it will become a Rafale vs F-16 fight, hopefully not a Morocco deja-vu?

[Globetrotter]

There are rumors about a deal by which the Rafale might be produced in Brazil by EMBRAER, setting a new level of tech transfer between these two countries. It would be nice for the region, even though I'd obviously like something like that for our former FMA

[Webmaster]

Well they are not just rumours, but a real possibility. French officials have already committed to offering local production (read: final assembly) as well as technology transfer. But if you ask Gripen or Eurofighter, they might offer the same. The FAB now operates the Mirage 2000, previously the Mirage III, for which pilots were trained in France. Interestingly, the AMX was developed together with Italy (Eurofighter) and the FAB also has a relationship with the RAF (Eurofighter). There's also a link to Sweden (Gripen), with the Ericsson sensors on the R-99, Sweden also has some interesting submarine tech... Also Brazil has strong ties with South Africa (Gripen). Interestingly South Africa is locally assembling and testing its Gripens and hugely benefits from the Gripen off-set and tech transfers. So the race is not over yet!