Brian Winter – Reuters, 9/24/2012
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has decided to wait until mid-2013 to make a decision on a multibillion-dollar Air Force jets contract, and Boeing’s chances of winning the deal have improved due to its recent alliances with local aircraft maker Embraer, two senior officials told Reuters.
The contract to overhaul Brazil’s Air Force with more than 36 new fighter jets will be worth at least $4 billion and is one of the most closely watched defense deals in the emerging-market world. The finalists are Boeing, France’s Dassault Aviation and Sweden’s Saab.
Rousseff plans to apprise U.S. President Barack Obama of the delay during a possible meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
