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A São Paulo-based body that represents almost 60% of Brazil's aerospace and defence companies has issued a scathing attack on the government's open support for the Dassault Rafale in its 36-aircraft F-X2 fighter contest.
Declaring that "the French fighter, if chosen, represents a defeat", the CIESP has released unconfirmed details on the bids.
Including maintenance costs, these total $10.2 billion for the Rafale, $7.7 billion for the Super Hornet and $6 billion for the Gripen NG, it claims. At just 2,500 positions, the Dassault-led proposal would also provide the smallest number of new jobs, while forging yet-closer defence industrial links with Paris would be "a grievous error for a country that wishes to assure its sovereignty", it alleges.
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*Brazil's F-X2 contest prompts further dispute (http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/02/19/338507/brazils-f-x2-contest-prompts-further-dispute.html)* |