Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC
Brazil's troubled Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II fighter upgrade programme is threatening to develop into a political scandal over alleged tendering irregularities and system non-compliance with air force requirements.
Controversy over the selection of Elbit Systems and local prime contractor Embraer dates back to the scheduled submission of tenders on 5 October last year. The Israeli company was a day late in making its submission, blaming the delay on misplaced airline baggage. It was subsequently selected as the preferred contractor, its $170 million bid being deemed the lowest.
Elbit's costings are believed to have been heavily leveraged against a hoped-for air force order for 98 new Embraer ALX armed turboprops, equipped with similar avionics. According to sources, projected costs have since ballooned by $80 million with the inclusion of local partner Embraer's share of the upgrade work package.
The losing contenders have been lodging increasingly strong protests with Brazilian air force chief Gen Werther Brauer. Marconi recently revalidated the $210 million price of its competing package including installation and integration of the Lockheed Martin APG-67 radar (Flight International, 21-27 July). Sagem submitted a third, slightly higher bid.
The losing companies claim that Elbit's proposed upgrade, based around the Elta 2032 multimode radar, falls short of stated air force requirements. Installation of the Israeli radar would require removal of one of the F-5's twin 20mm guns and major cooling modifications. The air force also wants provision for an add-on beyond visual range missile capability.
One suggested possibility is that Elbit could drop the Elta radar in favour of the Alenia Grifo F radar which, after a prolonged effort, has been integrated into the F-5 for Singapore.
Nearly 11 months after the original bidding was closed, a contract has still not been concluded with Elbit and local prime contractor Embraer. The proposed programme is still with the COPAC aircraft procurement agency after it was knocked back by the air force recently. "It's now being thrown into the political arena," says a local source.
Source: Flight International