UPDATE 2-Saab wins Brazil jets deal after NSA spying sours Boeing bid [View all]
Source: Reuters
Dec 18 (Reuters) - Brazil on Wednesday awarded a $4.5 billion contract to Saab AB to replace its aging fleet of fighter jets, a surprise coup for the Swedish company after news of U.S. spying on Brazilians helped derail Boeing's chances for the deal.
The contract, negotiated over the course of three consecutive Brazilian presidencies, will supply Brazil's air force with 36 new Gripen NG fighters through 2023. Aside from the cost of the jets themselves, the agreement is also expected to generate billions of additional dollars in future supply and service contracts.
Saab did not immediately comment on the purchase. In addition to Chicago-based Boeing, France's Dassault Aviation was a contender for the contract.
The timing of the announcement, after a decade of off-and-on negotiations, appeared to catch even the companies involved by surprise.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/18/brazil-jets-idUSL2N0JX17W20131218
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