DEFENSE MINISTER JOBIM ON BRAZIL'S FIGHTER PURCHASE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRASILIA 000730 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA AND PM. OSD FOR DUSD VERGA E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/2019 TAGS: MASS PREL ETTC BR SUBJECT: DEFENSE MINISTER JOBIM ON BRAZIL'S FIGHTER PURCHASE REF: BRASILIA 634 Classified By: Ambassador Clifford Sobel. Reason 1.4 (d) ¶1. (C) During his late May visit to the U.S., Brazilian MOD Jobim expressed greater confidence in the U.S. as a possible source for the purchase of Brazil's next generation fighter. Despite a long laundry list of past export control difficulties that Jobim delivered to DepSecDef Lynn, Jobim said he was beginning to feel more confident about the U.S. as a partner in Defense technology. (Embassy Note: Embassy has confirmed that most of these cases have been resolved.) In a later meeting with Ambassador Sobel and Boeing President Albaugh, Jobim said that he now believes he has enough facts to "engage" President Lula in a discussion of purchase of the Super Hornet. ¶2. (C) EMBASSY COMMENT. Although Jobim did not say he would support a purchase from Boeing, this is the most positive statement he has made regarding the possibility of purchase of the Super Hornet. The week after Jobim's visit, a group of Brazilian Congressional leaders visited the U.S. and gave a more positive view. While they were convinced that Boeing offered the best aircraft, they believed that lack of USG financing support was a significant negative. They also cited direct lobbying of French President Sarkozy (and the lack of similar efforts from the U.S.) as potentially decisive with President Lula. Brazilian Government sources told Ambassador Sobel that they were suprised that President Obama did not raise the fighter sale during his conversation with Lula before the Summit of the Americas and that this was perceived as indicating a lower level of USG interest, particularly in light of heavy lobbying from the leaders of France and Sweden. Embassy has heard repeatedly from high-level Brazilians that Presidential advocacy could be decisive. SOBEL