Brazil purchases 36 Swedish fighter jets
Gripen NG fighter jets, from the Swedish firm Saab. 
The governments of Brazil and Sweden signed an agreement at the Brazilian Embassy in the UK on Tuesday (Aug. 25) for the purchase of 36 Gripen NG fighter jets, from the Swedish firm Saab. This was the last stage before the manufacture of the jets. Of this amount, $245.3 million has been earmarked for the purchase of ordnance.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the first aircraft will be delivered in 2019, and the last one in 2014. The planes will serve the operational needs of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) in the next 30 years. The contract also encompasses the production of 15 of the 36 units in Brazil, including eight two-seat units, a model designed for FAB.
Unveiled in December, 2013, the commercial agreement with Saab covers the purchase of aircrafts for combat, logistical support, and the acquisition of weaponry required for their operation. The pact should also enable Brazil, the ministry says, to turn from buyer to provider of state-of-the-art combat aircrafts.
Late in July, after three days of talks, the Brazilian government managed to cut the interest rate in the transaction to 2.19 percent, which amounts to up to $169.7 million spared by Brazil. The agreement was signed in London, as it will be governed by British law, in an attempt to preserve neutrality.
“Signing the financing deal with Gripen NG is of utmost importance, as it ends of negotiation phase and inaugurates the execution phase of the commercial contract, with the acquisition and development of the fighter jets, thus forging a strategic alliance between Brazil and Sweden,” Defense Minister Jaques Wagner said in a note.
A statement released by the ministry announces that the actual payment of the loan is estimated to be effected in 2014, when the last aircraft should be delivered. The ministry goes on to declare that the Brazilian aerospace industry will be granted unrestricted access to technology at all its levels, including Gripen's source codes. “The transfer of technology will include items such as hardware integration, avionics, software, and systems, in addition to the exchange of knowledge, with over 350 Brazilians going to Sweden for training,”
Translated by Fabrício Ferreira
Fonte: Brazil purchases 36 Swedish fighter jets
