Mirage 2000BR : "a technological jump"

RIO OF JANEIRO – The Brazilian manufacturer Embraer estimates that the choice of Mirage 2000BR at the end of the international invitation to tender launched by the government to renew part of the fleet of supersonic aircrafts of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) would represent a “jump tecnhologic” for the country.
President of Embraer, Mauricio Botelho, stated that the Mirage manufactured with Brazil “would be more expensive than the planes of competition, but that the control of technology would compensate for the difference in price”. That would give place, according to him, with a true technological revolution, comparable with that of the years 1980, after Embraer had started to manufacture with the Italian manufacturer Aermacchi the AMX for the FAB.
Created in 1969 by the government and privatized with Brazilian capital in 1994, Embraer, fourth manufacturer of planes of the world, signed in 1999 a strategic alliance with the French companies Aerospace-Matra, Dassault Aviation, Snecma and Thomson-CSF, which hold 20% of the Brazilian aeronautical manufacturer today. “In our agreement with the French, the technology transfer is total and includes the aerodynamic structure of a supersonic aircraft which we do not have. We had all information on the systems, we will have the code-source and the assembly (…), in addition to the capacity to export the product in the whole world “, underlines Mr. Botelho. “If there had not been the AMX in the 80’s, we would not have in
the 90’s assumed this extremely significant role in the world aircraft industry. The revolution launched by the AMX transformed our capacity to build commercial jets and allowed us to crunch 35% of the world market “, added the president. And to continue: “We contributed to the trade balance of Brazil with nearly 50% Net. Last year, that was 36% only, because of terrorist attacks of September 11, when our stocks grew bigger because of the fall of the sales “.
Five consortia answered the invitation to tender launched by the Brazilian government on August 1, 2001 and which envisages the supply of 12 fighters to replace, from here at 2005, the current fleet of Mirage at a total cost estimated at 3,5 billion dollars. Two Brazilian consortia, Embraer and Avibras, and three foreigners appeared. With regard to Avibras, Mr. Botelho estimates that “the firm is qualified for the system of armament but which it is not an industry aréospatiale”. Embraer is associated with French Dassault Aviation, Snecma Moteurs and Thales Airborne Systems, who produce the Mirage, while Avibras is associated with the Russian Rosoboronexport consortium, manufacturer of Sukhoi SU-35 Sukhoi. For the foreigners appear Lockheed Martin, manufacturer of the F-16, Russian MiG, with the MIG-29, and Saab/BAE with the Gripen. The final decision will return to the ministries for Defense, Finances and the Foreign Relations and must have the downstream of president Fernando Henrique Cardoso. It will be known from here the end of June.