Following the recent statements made by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva regarding the crisis in the Gaza Strip, Israel has decided to declare the Brazilian president persona non grata, rapidly deteriorating diplomatic relations between the two countries.
In addition to this decision taken by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, the accredited Brazilian ambassador in Tel Aviv will soon be required to leave the country. According to Brazilian media reports, this situation could have a direct impact on the aeronautical sector, considering that the two main projects of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) rely on various systems and components of Israeli technology.
In particular, it is worth noting that the company AEL Sistemas, a subsidiary of the Israeli holding Elbit Systems, holds a 25% stake in Embraer, as well as being the manufacturer of the main display for the Swedish-origin Saab F-39B Gripen fighters. This system consists of a main screen that gathers all vital information for its operation, including flight instruments and weapon control. Additionally, AEL is responsible for manufacturing the electronic kit for the KC-390 transport, which includes the mission computer, self-protection systems and DIRCM countermeasures, the HUD (Head-Up Display), and the EVS (Enhanced Vision System).
In addition to the mentioned projects, other smaller-scale projects include the provision of avionics for the Embraer C-95M Bandeirante and P-95M Bandeirulha transport aircraft, the F-5M fighters, the AMX A-1M attack aircraft, and the Super Tucano. Furthermore, elements of the Brazilian Army would also be affected, such as the Airbus H125 Fennec helicopters and the 6×6 Iveco Guaraní armored vehicles.
This situation adds to the one unfolding in Colombia, of a similar nature, which although has not reached the point of severing diplomatic relations, would result in the cessation of logistical support for its fleet of IAI Kfir fighters of the Colombian Aerospace Force, directly affecting the operational capability of the country’s main air combat medium, for which no replacement has been defined.
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