The Minister of Defense, Nelson Jobim, and the minister of Foreign and European Relations of France, Michèlle Alliot-Marie, talked, this Tuesday, about the process of acquisition of the fighters for the Brazilian Air Force (FAB).

According to Jobim, President Dilma Rousseff will decide “in the moment that she judges opportune”.

For the Minister, the current restrictions, resulting of the cuts in the budget of the Government, don´t leave space for a decision of short term on the project FX-2.

Nelson Jobim explained that the contingency in the area of Defense was of R$ 4.024 billions, what represents reduction of 26.5 % regarding the total value of R$ 15.165 billions prescribed for investment and funding this year.

He directed to the president a message about the acquisition of the airplanes based in technical feedbacks with the position of the ministry and of the commanders of the Air Force and Navy, which are military forces straightly involved in the subject.

In the conversation with Alliot-Marie, Jobim reiterated that the decision relative to the purchase will follow a procedure that begins with the sending of the message of the Ministry of Defense to the president of the Republic.

Thereafter, Dilma Rousseff calls the Council of National Defense (CDN), which is the advisory organ composed by the commanders by the three Armed Forces, by the presidents of the Chamber of the Deputies and of the Federal Senate and by Ministers of State.

It will suit to the CDN to give out opinion on the theme, but the last word will belong to the president.

The proposals of the airplanes Gripen NG (Saab), Rafale (Dassault) and F-18 Super Hornet (Boeing) are the ones that participate of the current auction.

Technological transfer

In the meeting with Michèlle Alliot-Marie, Nelson Jobim emphasized the condition established by Brazil of which the purchase of the aircraft contemplates the technological transfer and the national capacity.

In the Itamaraty, the minister acknowledged the legitimacy of Brazil in postponing the decision, but reaffirmed her support to the fighter Rafale, in which she flew four times.

According to Alliot-Marie, France is the only one that guarantees transfer of real technology, which can be noted in the development of the current projects with the construction of submarines for the Navy and of helicopters Super Cougar for the three forces.

For Nelson Jobim, the auction involving the fighters is not only a simple purchase of military equipment, but the acquisition, by Brazil, of a technological packet that will allow to the country its development in the sector. “The price is important, but the most important thing is the national participation”, he said.

The Minister confirmed that after the decision of the president, the negotiations between the representatives of the winning enterprise and of the Brazilian government will continue, so that the formatting of the commercial and financial proposals can be done.

Based on previous experiences, like that of the ProSub (program that predicts the construction of submarines in Brazil), it is estimated that these negotiations will last around a year.

The financial effects will probably only cause impact to the budget of the subsequent year to that one of the decision on the acquisition.

Besides the process of purchase of the fighters, the Ministers treated several projects and common initiatives in the Defense area.

The French minister showed the interest of her country in participating of other projects in the Brazilian Defense sector, with the compromise of technological transfer.

According to her, “the Defense is heart of the strategic partnership between Brazil and France”.