Brazil Finishing F-5BR Fleet Upgrade Program
Apr 13, 2011 16:03 EDT
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April 11/11: Elbit Systems’ Brazilian subsidiary, AEL Sistemas S.A, announces a follow-on sub-contract from Embraer Defense and Security to upgrade another 11 F-5 fighters under the F-5BR program. This order would take the FAB’s upgraded F-5EM fleet to 57 aircraft, including 11 (8 F-5Es, 3 F-5Fs) bought from the Jordanian Air Force.
The current contract is valued at $85 million, and will be performed through 2013 as a follow-on to earlier 2001 and 2007 contracts. It will include engineering services and the delivery of all system equipment, including the mission computer, display systems, radar, EW(Electronic Warfare/countermeasures) system, ammunition management system and other avionics products. AEL will also supply a flight simulator, spares and ground support equipment. Elbit AEL | Embraer.
AEL avionics equip many of Brazil’s fighters and military aircraft. Elbit’s May 2008 investor filing with the SEC had this to say about their program history with Brazil’s F-5s:
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“In 2001, Elbit Systems began work under contracts for the Brazilian F-5 Aircraft Modernization Program. The program calls for the upgrade of 46 F-5 aircraft for the Brazilian Air Force. Our contracts for the program are with Embraer and the Brazilian Government, with a total value of approximately $230 million to be performed over an eight-year period. The contract with Embraer provides for an avionics upgrade, which includes an EW suite, mission computers, helmet mounted system, radar, displays and other avionics products. Delivery of production aircraft began in 2005. In January 2007, Elbit Systems was awarded an additional order to integrate further advanced capabilities in the F-5 aircraft. The contract with the Brazilian Government covers a logistic support program including establishment of an in-country maintenance center based at AEL.”
Brazil’s F-5BR upgrade program creates F-5EM aircraft. Enhancements to the original include aerial refueling capability, a SELEX Grifo radar, DASH Helmet Mounted Display, modern radar warning systems and countermeasures dispensers, improved IFF (Identification, Friend or Foe), a “glass cockpit” of digital displays plus HOTAS (Hands on Stick & Throttle) Controls, redundant GPS navigation, a datalink for exchanging information, and newer ejection seats. After the upgrades, they’re capable of carrying a wider range of weapons, though as the pictures show, they drop one of the F-5’s 2 initial 20mm cannon. In exchange, their air-air armament widens to include RAFAEL’s Derby beyond visual range missiles, as well as the standard Brazilian and Israeli Piranha and Python short range weapons.
As a further benefit, the combination of the Grifo radar and Elbit cockpit gives the upgraded F-5EMs commonality with Brazil’s A-1A/ AMX fighters, which are also the subject of upgrade contracts involving Embraer and Elbit.
Embraer and Elbit have been cooperating in a number of areas, and LAAD 2011 deepened that relationship by creating a joint venture to market unmanned air systems in Brazil. Elbit’s Hermes 450 UAV is already in limited use there with the FAB.
