SAO PAULO, 14 February 2006 — Brazil will buy 9 used F-5 jet fighters from Saudi Arabia and build an air-to-air missile with South Africa, a leading Brazilian newspaper reported, citing military sources.
Brazil’s airforce will invest $100 million to develop the short-range A-Darter type missile in a deal between Brazil’s Mectron and South Africa’s Denel Aerospace, the daily O Estado de Sao Paulo reported, citing air force commander-in-chief Carlos Bueno.
The nine used fighter jets from Saudi Arabia will cost $24 million, the newspaper reported.
They will be upgraded using the same technology Brazil’s giant Embraer is using to upgrade 46 other planes with the Israeli company Elbit, according to the paper.
In july Brazil purchased 12 Mirage 2000 combat jets from France.
The missile project follows the passing of a law authorizing the air force to shoot down aircraft used by drug traffickers over its vast territory.
No such incidents have occurred since the law was put in place in 2004.
