Brasilia: Brazil and France have signed a major arms pact worth billions of dollars that includes transfer of key military technologies, building of submarines and purchase of helicopters.
The agreement was sealed after a meeting between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva here Monday.
The pact will allow the two countries to share key military technologies, including building of five submarines, one of which is nuclear-powered, in the country, as well as the purchase of 50 EC-725 helicopters by Brazil.
The deal, estimated at about $12.3 billion, will be executed by 2021. About $9 billion have been allocated for purchase of French military equipments.
The choppers would be built in Brazil in collaboration with the Eurocopter firm, an affiliate of the European EADS group.
Separately, Brazil would also begin negotiations for the purchase of 36 Rafale combat aircraft from the French firm Dassault Aviation, officials said. Sweden's Saab and the US' Boeing Company are also vying for the aircraft deal, which has not been finalised.
"It's only a decision to begin negotiations," Lula said at a joint press conference with Sarkozy Monday.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, September 08, 2009, 09:18