HammerI know this is a think-tank, but it would be nice to understand the logic. SuperTucano is proven for this job, which ain´t the case with this brand new version.
Besides this aspect, how could the US ask other countries to seriously consider buying American, if automatically their own entries to a US sale are denied, just because they aren´t American? Or would this be the case just with Brazil?
Finally, an American think-tank complaining about possible vetoes from the Brazilian government is just rich, considering the long history of American vetoes of sales of any military (or quasi-military) product to any country to which the American government has any restriction, or when an American company could be beneffited by this veto…
By the way, just to let it be clear, I am indeed Brazilian :rolleyes:
I agree my friend, this very text has been the subject of many jokes around the Brazilian defense blogosphere… So wild to see us painted as a politicaly unreliable military product supplyers to the US armed forces… LOL! Since the “Brazilian” Super Tucano is actually made out of hundreds of US manufactued systems components, replacing an embargoed item should be a piece of cake for the US Air Force or Navy…
Regards,
Hammer
HammerAdelphi is a great reliable source here in Brazil. I vouch for any thing he posts here.
Regards,
Hammer
HammerI guess it’s good that the UK isn’t planning on invading China then :rolleyes:
But… roughly ten years ago the UK had absolutely no plans whatsoever to invade Iraq or Afghanistan, look where they are today! 😉 All it takes is a call from the US…
Regards,
Hammer
HammerYeh…I was being rather tongue in cheek. There doesn’t appear to be much useful wreckage left, the bulk of the fuselage and avionics were probaby destroyed by the SEALS, leaving insignificant sections of the tail. I doubt the Pakistanis have the technical ability to have made much use of it anyway. It’ll probably end up in Chinese hands, but again, not sure how useful it would be to them.
I believe the most relevant aspect in this peculiar revelation is the confirmation to the Chinese and Russians that the US got enough benefit out of this effort in order to fund an “stealth” operational variant of the Blackhawk… This certainty alone might provoke them both into following suit down this particular route.
Comments?
Regards,
Hammer
HammerHi guys sorry for changing radically the subject here but how were the US able to effectively “invade” Pakistani airspace from Afghanistan with slow moving helicopters and evade without being shot down by Pak fighters in the process? (This is a legitimate question, no disrespect at all intended, OK? :))
Regards,
Hammer
HammerI was just looking up the Libyan Air Force bases in Google Earth and I was wildly impressed by the Al Jufra Air Base, scores of MiG-25s Fiat G222s and Blinders! The image apparently is current…
Check it out!
29°11′53″N 016°00′04″E
Regards,
Hammer
Hammerhttp://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/08/03/345487/japan-looks-to-become-military-exporter.html
We were talking about this here earlier….
Regards,
Hammer
DATE:03/08/10
SOURCE:Flight International
Japan looks to become military exporter
By Leithen FrancisJapan’s government is examining whether to lift the lid on a decades-old ban on military exports.
The office of the prime minister has established a committee of high-ranking officials who are due to release by the end of the year the country’s National Defence Programme Guidelines (NDPG), which will outline the policy stance on defence exports.
HammerHas anybody heard new mumblings about FX-2 contender home countries´ proposals for participation in C390?
I think I read of a concrete commitment for 10 air-frames from France, which isn´t huge, but a start.
It seems that if France organized it´s planes as an open EU/NATO transport pool, ala C-17 but cheaper, that would make it most attractive for other countries, especially smaller ones but every one counts, to join in (and (co)buy more planes). Not the just the French numbers alone, but firmly establishing EU/NATO partnership co-dependent on Brazil would seem a strong offering… ???
Saab has said the press over here that they were more then willing to join the KC-390 development effort with Embraer and friends and that the Swedish Air Force had already suggested they be interested in Super Tucanos AND some KC-390s also. This Brazilian aero products “offset purchase” on the other hand has not been made publicly only because in Sweden these types of things need to go through Congress first before the President says something about it…
Regarding European perspectives fvor the KC-390 the Czech Republic has ordered two and Portugal requested some 6 of them if I not mixing the numbers… 😉
HammerHi guys over here in Brazil we’re still trying to figure what to make from this latest Reuters news bit. First of all all response from government has been null on the hypotetical preference by Dilma for the SH.
No Brazilian newpaper corroborated the Reuters story, some echoed it here but none independently confirmed it.
The said pro-Hornet comment was, at least in theory, voiced during Tim Geithner’s visit to Brazil. I could be construed as possibly not more than be just a “nice neighbor comment” from Dilma that the “Hornet is a great aircraft and that Boeing is a great company”… But this is just an Hypotesis…
The timing of this news bit is certainly interesting because right now in Airshow India Boeing is presenting its “roadmap for a Global Hornet” or something of the sort, maybe this is what the Boeing people had to tell Dilma this “new twist” on the SH product.
Also this recent statement ascribed to Dilma is absolutely different trom the one Lula said on Sep 7th 2009. Then he told the press in person that the Brazilian government “had already chosen the Rafale as our next gen fighter and that all the participants would be informed of that soon” he also said that “Sarkozy had garanteed him that the price Brazil would pay would be the very same that France was paying for it with no overprice”. Thus characterizing a totally different level of disclosure, don’t you agree?
This week Dassault got the Brazilian aeronautics industry together in a conference room for a discussion on how they will share their technology and what products would they buy locally is the Rafale was selected. So the way I see it the ball is still rolling…
Regards,
Hammer
HammerThis other news item published in the local today explores the turbulent relationship between the new president and her defense minister… very interesting.
Regards,
Hammer
HammerAs I said before in this forum….
Jobim says: F-X2 is not dead and NO NEW players will be joining the Rafale, Super Hornet and Gripen in the finals….
Regards
Hammer
HammerSome of the UAE MK2s are spares in storage, IIRC (also some of their F-16E – they like to have reserves), & they, & the dozen Qatari M2K (not quite the same standard, but close, I think) could be available very quickly. We’re talking phased deliveries over years, not 70-75 aircraft in one batch.
If Gripen NG is selected weèd certainly LEASE som JAS39A/B or C/Ds in oder to fill the time gap before the arrival of the first NGs. If we go for F-18 the US Navy can easily accomodate our pressing airframe needs and redirect some of their previously ordered aircraft to the FAB…
One very influential Brazilian Defense industry observer told me tonight that the Rafale has been all but excluded from the bid leaving the Gripen and SH to fight each other. N Jobim`s position at this moment is a very, very dire one before Dilma…. He also said that F-X2 is still alive but will need to be posponed some moinths waiting for the hard economic times to clear…
Regards,
Hammer
HammerHi guys,
Here’s my take on the considerations you have been “leaving on this (virtual) table”.
There seems to have happened a significant evaluation shift regarding defense geopolitical usefulness inside the Brazilian political establishment. Although the recently defeated oposition party still seems to believe that Brazil has a certain “niche” to fill, a particular “role” play inside the concert of nations and that this niche/role is to play second fiddle to the US and Europe, significant operators inside the the newly elected president’s party (PT) seem ready to believe that the global geopolitical stage is ripe for a new main player and that we cannot move up to seize this oportunity if we do not exibit a consistent military force able to be projected worldwide inside UN mandated peacekeeping missions. Since these guyus are in power now I believe we are soon to watch a growing involvemente of Brazilian politicians and subsequently military hardware probably in the shape naval ships, transport aircraft and who kows, even COIN turboprop powered ground attack aircraft…
One important news item that may have escaped your attention was the creation in early December 2010 of a new company, Embraer Security and Defense, this new entity will boast a totaly separate administration council from corporate parent Embraer. This decision was taken for two distinct reasons, first to allow embraer to enter into non-aviation businesses and second to try to isolate and shield the civilian commercial business (which is responsible for the lion’s share of corporate profits) from potential economical embargos or import restrictions related to military exports to non-US favored client states…
On the first editiion of the Estrategia Nacional de Defesa (END) there was reference of a hypotetical “FX-BR” program that would be a nationally developed light supersonic fighter that would replace F-5M and AMX after the conclusion of the F-X2 main fighter requirement was concluded. There is no clear picture at this time who inserted this program inside the END and how it fits inside the repeated news that the FAB fighter fleet would be expanded to around 200 aircraft from the current 120.
As I said before, as of today the Dilma government has not yet confirmed the end of F-X2 end the start of a new aquisition program with a larger number of contenders.
Let’s suppose that just for arguments sake that everything is returned to zero once again and that other players are allowed in. Could the Russins come back? I think so, they ran a great race and suprised everyone, specially Embraer by finishing second in the F-X1. Eurofighter as I see would have a very complex task to paint itself as something other than “Rafale II”, another very expensive although very capable aircraft, probably priced outside Brazilian Air Force economic reality… The Chinese today are inequivocably a story of “good, fast & furious” evolution , as can atest any global military issues observer looking at J-10 and the new J-20 aircraft. Brazil has already come very close to purchasing Chinese manufactured J-7s in the 80’s. Could we end up eventually buying considerable numbers of chinese fighters, possibly, would it iy happen now or in the near future? I’m not sure, there is still strong doubts in Brazil about the wiseness of getting to close to the Chinese especially in very expensive and critical items such as fighter airplanes. Certainly as chinese branded and manufactured goods general quality standards continue to evolve we may see a reduction in the Brazilian military’s distrust to them and their products.
Can we be interested in the current FC-1, maybe not, can the FC-1 suffer the same evolution as the J-10B in order to make it more “stealthified”? Can it be further upgraded with a western designed engine and even more advanced radar and avionics? If so maybe this could interest Brazil to join in on this project. Although naturaly simpler than the current F-X2 contenders, this evolved FC-1 could allow Brazil to economically doi the jump from the current 120 aircraft fleet to the new 200 (or even more depending on the price) aircraft stage…
Further upgrading the AMX? I have serious doubts, Brazil only had a 30% share of AMX program in the initial production run, any new evolution and production thereof may have Embraer have to invite Alenia and Aeritalia back into the deal or have to pay them off somehow. This may not work well…
On the F-35, this is certainly the brazilian air staffs “wet dream” aircraft but if the US has restrictions of sharing F-18 tecnology wioth us, imagine asking them for f-35 tech? Forget it! Also at what price point would these aircraft be offered to Brazil? Would Brazil havingh stealth aircraft cause unforseen turmoil from Brazilian neighbours? In the late 60’s/early 70s Brazilo’s request for F-4Es were ignored as to not upset the US aligned countries in South America, could this attide have changed significantly by now? I very much doubt it… Many in the US today question the wiseness of having sold F-16As to Venezuela (way before Chaves’ coming to power!) only to see these planes being used today against US political objectives in the subcontinent… this kind of past experience does not bode well for F-35 sales over here, at least in the near term.
So these are my thoughts, any comment?
Regards,
Hammer
HammerThey had 2 Thomaston-class dock landing ship, which date back to 1954! They may get some Anchorage class as replacements? These would be a good 15 years younger and could be obtained via US foreign military aid (i.e. real cheap if a hot transfer)
Brazil has 2 Thomastons (Ceará and Rio de Janeiro), aren’t you mixing up the two countries? Chile today has 2 BATRAL class landing ship tank (Rancagua and Chacabuco) and one Newport-class tank landing ship (Valdivia), this last ship is the one that’s due to be replaced by the Foudre.
In Brazil’s case our two Thomastons and the single Newport are scheduled to be replaced soon by four new BPCs Mistrals. I hope this plan comes to fruition.
Regards,
Hammer
Hammerspeaking of which, Eurofighter going to resubmit bid for FX3.
so where’s Sukhoi with Pak-fa and Su-35S?
Although some local news sources have been keen to jump the gun and claim “F-X2 is dead” and that a “new” F-X3 has been born, the Dilma Administration has still not confirmed all this officially. I believe we must wait a while to be sure that other suppliers other than the currenty three will be allowed to re-bid here.
So patience, my friends…
Regards,
Hammer
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