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Brazil has recently signed an agreement for the purchase of 6 french designed submarine. The submarines will be constructed in Brazil under French license. Fifty French transport helicopters will also be built by the Brazilians. They are also in negotiations for Brazil to purchase the state of the art Rafale fighter plane.
As the rest of the region falters, Brazil seems to be finally ready to take on its' long predicted role of regional power. The southwestern Atlantic has been somewhat of a back water for international shipping and commerce but as Brazilian deep water wells begin to come on line and Brazil becomes more powerful economically, perhaps Brasilia is starting to realize they have something vulnerable that needs defending.
My guess is that those predicting a Brazilian economic implosion might be surprised. When poom happens, Brazil will be exporting lots of expensive oil and agricultural products.

FRANCE-BRAZIL-SCORPENE-SUBMARINE

Publication date: 10/23/2007; 5:36:00 AM GMT.
(FILES) Chile's "O'Higgins" Scorpene-class diesel submarine at the shipyard in Cherbourg, France on October 21, 2003. Brazil on December 23, 2008 signed with France an agreement to buy 50 EC-725 transport helicopters and five Scorpene class attack submarines, one of which to be converted to nuclear by Brazil. AFP PHOTO MYCHELE DANIAU
http://discuss.flickrfan.org/2008/12/23/0595979.html
As the rest of the region falters, Brazil seems to be finally ready to take on its' long predicted role of regional power. The southwestern Atlantic has been somewhat of a back water for international shipping and commerce but as Brazilian deep water wells begin to come on line and Brazil becomes more powerful economically, perhaps Brasilia is starting to realize they have something vulnerable that needs defending.
My guess is that those predicting a Brazilian economic implosion might be surprised. When poom happens, Brazil will be exporting lots of expensive oil and agricultural products.

FRANCE-BRAZIL-SCORPENE-SUBMARINE

Publication date: 10/23/2007; 5:36:00 AM GMT.
(FILES) Chile's "O'Higgins" Scorpene-class diesel submarine at the shipyard in Cherbourg, France on October 21, 2003. Brazil on December 23, 2008 signed with France an agreement to buy 50 EC-725 transport helicopters and five Scorpene class attack submarines, one of which to be converted to nuclear by Brazil. AFP PHOTO MYCHELE DANIAU
http://discuss.flickrfan.org/2008/12/23/0595979.html