Brazil in talks with France to buy $600 mln submarine
Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:12pm EST
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndu ... 3620080128
BRASILIA, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Brazil is discussing with France the purchase of a $600 million Scorpene class submarine as part of an intended military alliance, a government official and a media report said on Monday.
Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim was in Paris for talks with French officials as well as submarine and aircraft manufacturers. He is due to meet President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday.
Brazilian Defense Ministry spokesman Jose Ramos said Jobim met on Monday with the head of DCNS, the state-owned French shipyard firm that makes the Scorpene, and with French Defense Minister Herve Morin.
Brazil is looking to France not only for submarine technology but to renew part of its jet fighter and helicopter fleet, he said.
"The idea is to discuss a strategic defense alliance with France," Ramos said. "The important part is technology transfer.
"He is not going to sign any deal yet on this trip."
The Scorpene deal would involve payments over 20 years at a rate of 2.4 percent, Folha de S.Paulo newspaper said. It put the price of the submarine at $600 million.
The Brazilian government, which wants to build the submarine in Brazil, is spending more than 1 billion reais ($560 million) to complete a nuclear reactor for it by 2015, the spokesman said.
The diesel-electric attack sub is developed by DCNS, which is 25 percent owned by defense electronics company Thales (TCFP.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), and the Spanish government shipbuilder Navantia SA.
The Chilean navy has two in operation. The Indian navy has six on order and Malaysia two, according to the naval-technology.com defense industry Web site. (Reporting by Angus MacSwan and Raymond Colitt; Editing by Bill Trott)
Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:12pm EST
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndu ... 3620080128
BRASILIA, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Brazil is discussing with France the purchase of a $600 million Scorpene class submarine as part of an intended military alliance, a government official and a media report said on Monday.
Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim was in Paris for talks with French officials as well as submarine and aircraft manufacturers. He is due to meet President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday.
Brazilian Defense Ministry spokesman Jose Ramos said Jobim met on Monday with the head of DCNS, the state-owned French shipyard firm that makes the Scorpene, and with French Defense Minister Herve Morin.
Brazil is looking to France not only for submarine technology but to renew part of its jet fighter and helicopter fleet, he said.
"The idea is to discuss a strategic defense alliance with France," Ramos said. "The important part is technology transfer.
"He is not going to sign any deal yet on this trip."
The Scorpene deal would involve payments over 20 years at a rate of 2.4 percent, Folha de S.Paulo newspaper said. It put the price of the submarine at $600 million.
The Brazilian government, which wants to build the submarine in Brazil, is spending more than 1 billion reais ($560 million) to complete a nuclear reactor for it by 2015, the spokesman said.
The diesel-electric attack sub is developed by DCNS, which is 25 percent owned by defense electronics company Thales (TCFP.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), and the Spanish government shipbuilder Navantia SA.
The Chilean navy has two in operation. The Indian navy has six on order and Malaysia two, according to the naval-technology.com defense industry Web site. (Reporting by Angus MacSwan and Raymond Colitt; Editing by Bill Trott)
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