Boeing’s bid to win a primary Brazilian warplane contract is facing headwinds from US-Brazil tensions over alleged US spying, a top Boeing official said in Washington Friday.
Allegations that the us spied at the communications of Brazil’s president, Dilma Rousseff, led her last month to cancel an October 23 state visit to Washington, putting the united states company’s bid in a holding pattern, said Donna Hrinak, head of Boeing Brazil.
“We expected that the visit would send a signal that Brazil and the U.S. were excited by the type of strategic partnership that may make possible a call in support of our proposal,” Hrinak said during a seminar at the Brazilian economy.
“The postponement of the visit signifies that any progress in regards to the issue was also postponed,” said the previous US ambassador to Brazil.
Brazil was negotiating for years to purchase 36 fighter jets. Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet is competing for the $5 billion deal against the Rafale made by French firm Dassault and the Gripen NG made by Saab of Sweden.
Initially, the federal government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had indicated it was able to sign a give attention to Dassault, but if Rousseff took office in 2010 she seemed to scratch the army aircraft order from her list of national priorities.
In the past two years, the Brazilian government has hinted that it prefers Boeing’s Super Hornet, especially after the united states aerospace and defense giant agreed to transfer the aircraft’s basic technology.
But Brazil is interested by having access to development and construction technology, including software programs and navigation and radar details, holding up a deal.
Government sources in Brasilia have signaled that Rousseff desires to make the verdict by the tip of this year.
Hrinak said Friday that she understood the excuses why Rousseff postponed her state visit to Washington after press reports that the usa National Security Agency had spied on online and other communications of Rousseff. The allegations stem from documents leaked by fugitive former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.
“No matter how justified is Brazil’s indignation with the NSA episode, people won’t forget the advantages that a partnership of this sort delivers,” the Boeing official said.
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