France and Brazil are expected to sign a strategic defence agreement by the end of this year which covers the joint production of two submarines - one of them nuclear-powered - and 50 military helicopters, Reuters reports from Brasilia.
"We should sign all the necessary documents in June or July," Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said, adding that a Brazilian subsidiary of Eurocopter is to build the helicopters.
France and Brazil will create a joint venture to build at least one conventional submarine, followed by a second boat with nuclear propulsion developed by Brazil. It would be the first nuclear-powered submarine (SSN) developed outside an established nuclear power.
"I don't see any obstacle (to the submarine deal). There's political agreement," Jobim said."We won't have a dissuasive force in the Atlantic if we don't have a fast tool -- the nuclear submarine -- with domestic participation," Jobim said. SSNs are among the fastest warships extant, with unlimited range.
To be really effective, the need at least 4 so one can be on station at any given time. However, this could be just the start and that Brazil is getting itself trained up on using an SSN first. They are substantially different in operations and tactics than a SSK. I think this would be the first real sale of an SSN to another country too. India leased one from Russia and promptly returned it as a radiological nightmare. It is interesting that Brazil will probably get a permanent SSN before India which has had a program to develop them natively since the 1970s. The article also mentions that Argentina wants one (like they can really afford one)! Return of the ABC powers? Sorta?
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