Military salute for Saab in Brazil fighter jet deal
Published: 6 Jan 10 10:31 CET | Print version
Updated: 6 Jan 10 16:19 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/24228/20100106/
Saab has been boosted by news that the Brazilian Air Force favours the Swedish firm for a $7 billion contract over its French and American rivals.
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In its decision, the military has gone against the Brazilian government's pick - the French Rafale.
Citing an air force technical report, the newspaper said the French jet was not even the Air Force's second pick for the new fighters.
The runner-up was the F/A-18 Super Hornet by US group Boeing.
The Rafale, a multirole fighter made by Dassault, had been seen as leading the pack since President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced jointly in September that Brazil was negotiating to buy the delta-winged aircraft.
If that intent to purchase is confirmed, it would be the first export sale of the Rafale, possibly making it more attractive to other potential buyers Switzerland and India.
But Saab and Boeing are fighting fiercely to land the Brazilian contract, reportedly slashing prices to do so.
Lula's government has said the deal is not yet done with Dassault. It is waiting for an air force evaluation of the three contenders to be completed.
Still, Lula has stressed that the final decision is his, and will be based on political and strategic considerations.
The priority for Brazil is to acquire technology through the purchase so it can end up with the capability to build its own 21st-century fighters.
Folha said the air force preferred the Swedish model because it was less costly and potentially had better commercial possibilities.
And profit margins on future local production of the French jet were theoretically less interesting to local aviation giant Embraer, the Folha report added.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
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I hope SAAB gets the deal. It will help to secure jobs and generate income in Sweden.
Ah...I hate to break it to the Editor...but SAAB Automobile AB was SPLIT from SAAB AB in 1990, when General Motors purchased the first 50%, then purchased the remaining 50% in 2000.
SAAB AB has NOTHING to do with SAAB Automobile AB.
And you live in Sweden? What rock have you been living under for the last 20 years?
"The priority for Brazil is to acquire technology through the purchase so it can end up with the capability to build its own 21st-century fighter"
I read this to mean that Brazil will just copy the Saab fighter and then produce its own. I worked for GE and China did the same, they ordered a fleet of new GPS guided locomotives, took delivery of the first 2 and then just reversed engineered them. Originally they had told GE they were going to buy 20, so GE started to build 20 but only sold 2.
Hopefully for Saab Brazil will take the full order of planes and not just 1 or 2 and then start building Saab knockoffs.
And while the military and automobile portions of Saab are two separate entities, they are both Swedish and so this means jobs for Sweden. Either way that is good.
In the end, this deal is only a short term boost as it appears that Brazil wants to build its own fighter. If that is the case it will be based on whatever plane they buy.
In my view the Saab fighter is better than Rafale and US F/A 18. But as I know the politic system in Brazil, they are only speculating the market. Decisions will be taken maybe next year, cause this year we'll have elections in Brazil. It means: all can be change.
I hope they choose the Saab aircraft and break the influence of France/US at the military forces.
For Brazil is a big deal to have license to produce this fighters at Embraer, and maybe Embraer can exchange technology with the swedish aircraft factory.
One of the two will run the other out of this market.
The french plane is not even favored by the French Air Force.
The F18 is older and not Next Gen, which says something about how dang good that plane is considering it's 2nd choice - Brazil can't afford the F-35. If they could they'd buy it.
I don't know what part of the navigation system you are talking about.
The radar is currently made by Marconi, and will in the future be made by Selex Gallileio. The communication system is made by Thales. Neither is American.
The biggest American part is the engine which is made by GE.
Brazil can not buy F35: not because they can not afford it, but because US does not offer it. US sells F35 only for very close allies.
Brazilian government has made clear that one of the most important criteria in this bid is the full technology transfer of the fighters. So, if Brazil will build its own fighter in a couple of years, this will have nothing to do with stealing or copying, but only using what they bought (i.e., technology). Remember as well that the 3rd biggest aircraft manufacturer in the world is brazlian (Embraer). This company already produces fighters nowadays (and produced even more in the past).
Brazil had problems in the past with technology transfer from the US. They dont want to make the same error. That is why the F/A 18 is low weighted in this bid, even though US is offering them for the half of the market price.
Because the SAAB fighter uses american engine (i.e., a potential problem for technology transfer), it is not well seen at the brazlian government. An additional comment here: SAAB has offered not only full technology transfer for this bid, but a **joint development** of a new version of the NG Gripen that Brazil would have the **right to market**.
About the french option. Brazil has recently announced the acquisiton of helicopters and submarines from France (in a bid 3x larger than this one for the fighters) with the very same issue of full technology transfer. And as the text of the article said, these countries are establishing an strategic alliance that goes beyond the military plane, but reaches several other areas.
Judging from the data submitted, the AC are a mismash of several countries parts, systems and engines.
Judging from this, how can a Gripen be referred to as Swedish?
Politics and cost play more of a role than quality or nationalistic pride, thus the name on the AC becomes a moot point.