The Brazilian Navy may be considering purchasing used F/A-18 Hornet jets as a way to immediately replace its aging fleet of A-4KU Skyhawk fighters.
The information was shared by Naval Power website, this Wednesday (15/01), and mentions a meeting of the Directorate General of Material of the Navy (DGMM), which took place in Rio de Janeiro last Friday (10/01).
The decision to purchase used Hornet fighters comes from Fleet iral Ilques Barbosa Junior, whose goal is to stop allocating expenses to extensive programs to modernize the A-4 fighters.
It has not yet been confirmed, but probably the F-18 Hornets studied by the Brazilian Navy are based on planes that are being retired by the Kuwait Air Force, all versions C and D, still produced by McDonnell Douglas.
Additionally, the Navy is eyeing some lower cycle F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet units operated by the United States Navy (USN). However, the government is still trying to find out more about the status of the stockpiled aircraft.
“The cheapest alternative in of acquisition are F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft that will be available on the USN from the second half of this decade”, said to Naval Power, on condition of anonymity, a senior officer of the Navy who has been working for more than ten years on the re-equipment of his corps.
The information still needs further confirmation, something that should not happen when it comes to the Brazilian Navy. In addition, the purchase is a risk, as it involves used aircraft with several cycles of use, and probably a few years of operation ahead.
