Brazil recently announced plans to acquire 36 Rafale fighter jets from France’s Dassault.
The fighter deal, estimated to be worth approximately $4bn to $6bn will provide the Brazilian Air Force with the most advanced multirole combat aircraft in Latin America.
The intended contract would also include a technology transfer that would allow Brazil to build the fighter domestically and engage in potential sales in Latin America.
The Rafale features stealth capabilities and a new combat radar, which allows the pilot to engage targets nearly 200km away.
Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet and Saab’s Gripen fighter were the other contenders for the deal.
Dassault, for which this is the first export contract, is expected to finalise the sale to Brazil in 2010.
