It is same problem Australia/Canada facing now with unaffordibility of JSF.
commodity boom artificially inflated the currencies that erode the rest of economy . now that boom is deflated with weaker China demand so these countries dont have surplus money for such big purchases. Brazil has addition problem of funding Olympics. IOC already warned them.

hummm… I follow brazilian foruns for some years and in this specific issue things seem much more complicated than that. It all started back in September 2009 when the then president Lula da Silva announced that Rafale had won the FX-2 project…immediately there were several attempts to “sabotage” that choice and from then onwards things have always been played dirty, between the Air Force, the Brazilian Federal Government and lobbies going crazy all around.
Sintra for sure remember also some of that, he was a member of the same forum as I.
Last wk as I wrote there was a “leak” stating that the BrAF had “chosen” the F-18 Super Hornet.
Embraer and Boeing seem too much involved on this process. Several news reported that Embraer threatened to fire dozens of employees next year and this is being now connected to a decision on the FX-2…
Some days after the President freezes the decision-while visiting France!!!!-, which prior it was stated would occur until the end of the year.

In terms of “economic crisis” this seems to be an excuse because the Brazilian Navy, for example, is moving ahead with the nuclear sub + SSKs, building from scratch a new Sub base, just bought 3 OPVs from UK, etc

Most of brazilian colleagues say that this “economy excuse” is pure bulls**t and it was rather a message passed from the federal government directly to the AF (which strangely has not opened its mouth rgd this…), to enphasize that the government is getting tired of the political maneuvers involving this issue.

We are talking about 36 fighters “only”, in terms of the AF. It’s not the same as India with more than 100 fighters

btw

Seems Romania will buy 12 Portuguese F16, for a total price of 463M€

Brazil delays fighter choice for the 358678382382334949th time

Brazil’s Rousseff grounds fighter choice until economy takes off
AFP – 13 hours ago

Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff on Tuesday tied the decision on a fighter jet in a deal worth billions of dollars to the country’s economy picking up.

“We have pushed back the choice… and this will take some time depending on how long it takes the Brazilian economy to recover,” Rousseff said at a joint press conference with her French counterpart Francois Hollande.

Brazil is looking to buy 36 multi-purpose jets to modernise its air force in a contract valued at between $4 billion and $7 billion.

The Rafale fighter, built by French firm Dassault Aviation, is up against the US aviation giant Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet and Swedish manufacturer Saab’s Gripen.

Brazil, which boasts the world’s sixth-largest economy, began considering buying a new fighter model several years ago, but Rousseff said the government had postponed making a decision in the face of a sharp economic slowdown.

The Brazilian economy rose 2.7 percent last year, sharply down from a sizzling 7.5 percent in 2010.

“We are waiting for growth at a higher rate that will permit us to make this project a priority again,” said Rousseff.

She said there were signs that growth was picking up “but we still have to be careful about extraordinary expenditures”.

Brazil posted 0.6 percent growth in the third quarter after stagnating with 0.1 percent growth in the first quarter and 0.2 percent in the second.

In late September, a senior Brazilian government official told AFP on condition of anonymity there would be no decision on the contract before next year.

He dismissed suggestions that Brazil, which is currently experiencing sluggish economic growth, already favoured a particular plane.

The early favourite was the Rafale, but Brasilia finds it too expensive and has been pressing for a better price. Paris has offered full technology transfers in its bid to win the contract.

Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet is cheaper, but Brazilian officials are wary of Washington’s possible use of technology restrictions.

Hollande emphasised that France was willing to share technology in order to clinch the first foreign sale of the fighter that is the mainstay of the French airforce and was used in the NATO air campaign against former Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi’s regime.

“We have always wanted transfers,” said the French president. “That is the method we have selected.”

Rousseff’s predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, publicly expressed his preference for the Rafale in 2009, but since taking office in January 2011 Rousseff has repeatedly pushed back taking a decision.

http://my.news.yahoo.com/brazils-rousseff-grounds-fighter-choice-201324589.html

China Mourns Top Manager of J-15 Fighter Jet Program

(Source: RIA Novosti; published Nov. 26, 2012)

BEIJING — China gave high praise on Monday to the head of the Shenyang Aircraft Corp. (SAC), who died while witnessing the first successful deck landing of the new carrier-based Shenyang J-15 fighter jet, Xinhua reported.

Luo Yuang, 51, had a sudden heart attack aboard China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, around noon on Sunday, Xinhua said citing the obituary issued by the SAC.

China’s state-run CCTV television opened its noon news broadcast on Monday with the announcement of Luo’s death as a sign of high respect to a man who dedicated his life to the development of Chinese fighter jets.

Luo’s career at the SAC spanned over 30 years. He became chairman and general manager of the corporation in 2007 and personally oversaw the development and production of the J-15, derived from Russia’s Sukhoi Su-33 carrier-based fighter.

The successful J-15 deck landing marks a crucial step in the development of China’s ambitious aircraft carrier program as landing tests of carrier-based aircraft are the most challenging to perform.

“It’s like ‘dancing on a knifepoint’ as the aircraft have to land on a very limited space,” Xinhua quoted Vice-Admiral Zhang Yongyi, a deputy commander of the Chinese Navy.

The J-15s had made many landings on land-based mock-ups of Liaoning’s deck and performed a number of touch-and-go take-offs and landings during sea trials last month before attempting an arrested landing on the deck of the aircraft carrier, according to Chinese naval experts.

Since the Liaoning entered service in September 2012, its crew has completed more than 100 training and testing programs.

The Admiral Kuznetsov class Varyag aircraft carrier was 70 percent complete when China bought it from Ukraine for $20 million in 1998. Before being sold, the ship was disarmed and its engines were removed.

China launched a complete overhaul of the ship in 2002, also developing carrier-based aircraft. Beijing has repeatedly insisted the carrier poses no threat to its neighbors and that it will primarily be used for training and research.

The 1,000-ft vessel is designed to carry 26 aircraft and 24 helicopters.

China is reportedly building at least one domestically-designed aircraft carrier, with local media speculating that two hulls may currently be under construction.

The United States and its traditional allies in the Pacific – Japan, South Korea and Taiwan – have already expressed concern over the recent successes in the development of China’s ambitious aircraft carrier program as Beijing’s growing naval power may weaken their influence in the region.

-ends-
http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/140497/shenyang-ceo-dies-during-carrier-trials.html

The former portuguese corvette “Oliveira e Carmo” and the former patrol boat “Zambeze” were sunk yesterday near Portimão , Algarve, to create an artificial reef for diving activities.
In the near future the former frigate “Comandante Hermenegildo Capelo” and the former oceanografic vessel “Almeida Carvalho” will join them.

news in portuguese
http://sicnoticias.sapo.pt/pais/2012/10/30/dois-antigos-navios-da-marinha-afundados-ao-largo-de-portimao

Construction of Stealth Corvette Zeliony Dol Starts at Russian Shipyard

Posted on Aug 31st, 2012

Construction of the fourth Project 21631 Buyan-M stealth corvette Zeliony Dol was started at Zelenodolsk Shipyard in Tatarstan, Russia. According to ITAR-TASS referring to press service of Southern Military District, the ship will be commissioned into Caspian Flotilla (CF).

Lead ship of the project, corvette Grad Sviyazhsk was laid down on Aug 27, 2010. Keel for the second ship, corvette Uglich was laid down on July 22, 2011. The third corvette named Veliky Ustiug was keel-laid on Aug 27, 2011. All of them will join Caspian Flotilla as well.

Buyan-class corvettes are ‘river-sea’ class ships being built under stealth technology. Length of such ships is 74.1 meters, beam is 11 meters, and draft is 2.6 meters. Displacing 949 tons, corvettes of this class have max speed of 25 knots.

Armament of Buyan-class corvettes includes 100-mm gun mount, Gibka SAM systems, 14.5-mm and 7.62-mm machineguns, Duet 30-mm gun system, and Caliber-NK missile system with operating radius of 300 km.

Apart from Caspian Flotilla, Project 21631 corvettes will be commissioned into Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

http://navaltoday.com/2012/08/31/construction-of-stealth-corvette-zeliony-dol-starts-at-russian-shipyard/

Forgot to mention, he flew the plane shirtless and did not require a tailhook to land. he used his bare hands.

He was on the flight deck and used his Jedi-mind powers to land the plane without anyone piloting it

NORFOLK (June 14, 2012) The Portuguese navy submarine NRP Tridente (S 160) arrives at Naval Station Norfolk. Tridente is scheduled to participate in the multinational fleet training exercise War of 1812 June 19-29. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Karen Blankenship/Released)