Brazil to buy fighter aircraft from France

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Brazil and France issued a joint announcement on Friday that Brazil will purchase 12 used Dassault Mirage fighter aircraft from France. The announcement came from French President Jacques Chirac and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, at a joint news conference. Brazil has been looking to acquire new military aircraft for several years and considered buying new planes from several manufacturers, including Lockheed Martin Corp., Saab AB, and from a joint venture between Dassault and Brazil manufacturer Embraer. All those deals fell through as Brazil repeatedly put off a decision on the purchase, which would have cost Brazil around $700 million for 12 new planes. A source in the Brazilian military has said that Brazil will pay *60 million ($72.6 million) for the planes and an additional *20 million for associated equipment. The deal marks an increasing relationship between the two nations. Also announced at Fridays news conference was an agreement between the two nations to share bridge-building technology.