Could Brazils F-X2 Fighter Modernization Program Grow into Mega Deal?
While Brazil is evaluating the proposals submitted by the three finalists – Boeing, Dassault and Saab, the government and Air Force are also reevaluating their longer term requirements in an attempt to expand the production base into more economical levels. In November 2007 Brazil announced its plans to embark on a $2.2 billion F-X2 future fighter procurement, seeking to modernize its air forces’ first-line fighter fleet with 36 latest generation fighters. This modernization is long overdue, since the most modern asset in the arsenal of the Forca Aerea Brasileira (FAB – Brazilian Air Force) are locally built Super Tucano/ALX surveillance and light attack turboprops, built by Embraer. Its first-line operation units include a few squadrons of locally built AMX subsonic light fighters, which constantly receive phased upgrades from Italy and Israel, and 1960 vintage F-5BRs also modernized with Israeli avionics systems. A previous attempt to modernize the Brazilian Air Force failed in 2004,
