Lula rejects “American interference” in Brazil’s purchase of Gripen fighter jets

President during an interview with Ceará Radio. Photo: Ricardo Stuckert – PR

“This information is unjustified [que os EUA pediram]”. The Americans didn’t want me to say I was going to buy Rafale fighter jets, they wanted me to buy their planes.

President Lula challenged this Friday (11) that the US government had interfered in the purchase of Brazil’s Gripen fighter jets from the Swedish company Saab. “Requesting information from the US is US interference from another country. This information is unjustified,” Lula said in an interview with CBN/O Povo radio in Fortaleza. The process of procuring fighter jets began during the second Lula government.

In 2014, the United States Department of Justice sought information from a Saab subsidiary about Brazil’s purchase of 36 Gripen fighter jets. Lula added that it makes no sense. “I don’t know what information he is asking for and I don’t want to rush to judgement. But it doesn’t make sense to ask for information about an aircraft bought by a country, a car bought by a country,” he asserted.

“The Americans didn’t like it when I said I was going to buy Rafale fighter jets, they wanted me to buy their planes. When Dilma bought a Swedish one they definitely didn’t like it”, the president said in Fortaleza, according to CBN/O Povo radio.

The competition to buy fighter jets for the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), known as the FX-2 project, took place between 2008 and 2014 and Saab was the winner. On that occasion, Boeing of North America also joined the dispute

“I don’t really know how the plane was bought. I knew that friend Dilma [Rousseff, ex-presidente] He bought a very economical flight, which seems to me to be the cheapest and least expensive. “This is an aircraft of a group of countries, it’s a Swedish aircraft with the participation of the UK and several countries,” said President Lula. The agreement with Saab allows the Gripen to be manufactured in Brazil in the future. The first aircraft has already been delivered to Brazil, and the rest should be delivered by 2027.

“Both Brazilian and Swedish authorities investigated parts of Brazil’s competition process. These investigations were closed without any wrongdoing on Saab’s part. […]. According to Reuters, Saab intends to comply with the request to provide information and cooperate with the Department of Justice in this matter,” the company said of the US consultations, according to Reuters.