Bids for Brazil's Northrop F-5 upgrade programme were submitted on 23 March. Embraer will act as prime contractor and system integrator for the structural and avionics upgrade programme, and will evaluate the bids, but the selection will be made by the Brazilian air force. Other aviation procurement programmes are also being pursued.
Embraer declines to comment, but is believed to have received four offers, from European and Israeli companies only. The competing teams are thought to include Alenia, Elbit, GEC-Marconi and Israel Aircraft Industries.
No US companies have submitted bids, although one team is offering the Lockheed Martin APG-67 radar as part of its upgrade proposal, sources suggest. The others are offering a choice between the Elbit EL/M-2032 and FIAR Grifo multi-mode radars.
Brazil plans to upgrade some 45 aircraft, plus up to 15 additional F-5s it hopes to acquire. The upgrade will make the F-5 the air force's air superiority aircraft until the new fighter to be acquired under the FX BR programme enters service in 2005. The upgrade may include arming the F-5 with radar guided air to air missiles.
Selection of the winning bidder is scheduled for mid-year. Brazil is also studying a parallel upgrade of the Alenia/Aermacchi/Embraer AMX, which the Brazilian manufacturer believes could rekindle so far unsuccessful efforts to export the attack aircraft.
The Brazilian air force has still to decide whether to purchase a fourth AMX batch - production of aircraft now on order will end next year, Embraer says. Existing aircraft already have been upgraded with displays supplied by Elbit and are to be equipped with the Scipio radar developed by FIAR.
Embraer is expected to draw heavily on its integration experience on the ALX programme to develop a light attack/trainer version of the EMB-314 Super Tucano trainer. Elbit is supplying the avionics and delivery of 100 aircraft to the Brazilian air force is to begin in the second half of next year.
The manufacturer says the EMB-145SA airborne early warning and control version of its RJ-145 regional jet is scheduled to enter service with the Brazilian air force in early 2000. Aerodynamic flight tests will begin at the end of this year. Embraer, meanwhile, has teamed with Ericsson, supplier of the EMB-145SA's Erieye phased-array radar, to market the aircraft.
The Brazilian air force's next major procurement programme, ahead of the FX BR, is expected to be its CLX requirement to replace de Havilland Buffalos. A request for proposals is expected in June.
Source: Flight International
