Posted on 01/17/2011 10:38:42 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
New Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has decided to delay awarding a multi-billion dollar Air Force jet contract and reevaluate the finalists' bids, in a move that could signal a realignment of Brazil's strategic and defense alliances, sources with knowledge of the decision told Reuters.
The surprise decision is a blow to France's Dassault, which as recently as last month looked like a lock to quickly win the deal, and puts its U.S.-based rival Boeing back in with a chance.
Rousseff's predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, had while in office repeatedly expressed his preference for Dassault's bid to build at least 36 Rafale jets at a cost of more than $4 billion as part of a long-running effort to modernize the Brazilian Air Force fleet.
The other finalists for the contract were the Gripen NG, produced by Sweden's Saab, and Boeing's F-18.
Lula left office on January 1 without resolving the issue, although many observers believed the final decision in favor of Dassault was a mere formality since Rousseff was Lula's chief of staff and she has retained many of his Cabinet members, including the defense minister
(Excerpt) Read more at ca.reuters.com ...
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