Amid the crisis in Asia, Brazil sells missiles to Islamabad
For Jobim, veto operation would accuse government of Pakistani terrorism; business with Mectron will guarantee the Bank of Brazil
Wisper CANTANHÊDE
SPEAKER OF THE LEAF
Iurie DANTAS
THE BRANCH OF BRASILIA
IGOR Gielow
SECRETARY OF EDITORIAL
THE BRANCH OF BRASILIA
Turning off the diplomatic tension between India and Pakistan because of the attacks that caused 172 deaths in Mumbai, Brazil yesterday granted an export credit insurance for a hundred missiles produced by Sao Paulo Mectron Pakistani government to equip their planes for battle.
The Embassy of India has not issued any opinion on the case, but sent representatives to the Foreign Ministry to consult the Brazilian government on the decision. The Indian ambassador was in Rio and was informed by telephone.
The contract is 85 million, and demanded that Islamabad joined the Brazilian government as "guarantor" of financial and political business, which has dragged for over a year, the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Mectron, Pakistan and Brazilian Air Force had occurred in April. The financial guarantee, an insurance credit of 25 million will be given by the Bank of Brazil.
The decision was taken at an extraordinary meeting of Camex (Board of Foreign Trade) yesterday, convened by Defense Minister Nelson Jobim. Two of the participants questioned the decision politically at a time when India accused Pakistan of involvement, albeit indirect, with the attacks.
The two countries, nuclear powers have already been to war three times since it split in 1947, with the independence of the British Empire.
The Minister Paulo Bernardo (Planning) asked the Jobim: "Very good, but geopolitics and the question?"
Then the secretary-general of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Samuel Pinheiro Guimaraes, said he feared internal and external reactions to the decision at this time. "I am very worried," he said at the meeting, according to reports heard by the film.
Given the questions, Jobim said that the negotiation is between countries. "The deal is with the Pakistani government, not with terrorists in Pakistan. Cancelássemos If the deal would be giving the Pakistani government terrorist activities."
Bernardo Guimaraes and agreed and voted in favor. "Really we can not add an element of trial in our decision. Deny, would judge the government of Pakistan," said the diplomat at the meeting in which represented the Chancellor Celso Amorim.
The decision by the Brazilian pressure Pakistan had months, but a coincidence drew the attention of someone who follows the market for weapons: the brokering of the sale was made by the same group that helped the Pakistani government to sell 12 Russian attack helicopters, warships to Brazil last week. The proximity might indicate, according to analysts, a "sealed package" at both ends by intermediaries.
The missiles in question are of the type MAR-1. It is an anti-radiation missile, that is, he captures signals from radar and pursuing the source. The MAR-1 is specified to achieve targets for radar transmitters on land-ie, anti-batteries. He began to be developed in 1998 by the Aeronautics and Mectron and suffered boycott next year in the United States, which vetaram the sale of an antenna of its radar system receiver, considering that would allow the insertion of a new military technology in South America
The solution was a gag nationalized product. It worked, and the missile is already in the process of operational testing. Only the FAB invested about $ 26 million in the project. The MAR-1 was designed to be installed on hunting of the ground attack AMX, but is easily integrated with aircraft like the Mirage Pakistanis.
According to Folha learned, Pakistan will advance part of the contract for the Mectron expand its production capacity. With the advance, the Mectron can produce five missiles per month, compared with only one today. Will not, however, with this batch of products that Pakistan will have some kind of tactical or strategic advantage in a hypothetical war with eternal rival.