Boeing Meets With Brazilian Industry, Reaffirms Super Hornet as Best-Value Solution

SÃO PAULO, Sept. 15, 2009 - The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today kicked off a two-day conference with 140 potential partner and supplier companies in São Paulo, reaffirming its commitment to fulfill all of Brazil's requirements with its Super Hornet solution to the F-X2 fighter competition.

"We are confident that our offer represents the best-value solution for Brazil, offering the most advanced technology, a proven superior logistics-support system and a price that is considerably lower than that of the Rafale," said Bob Gower, vice president of the Boeing F/A-18E/F Program.

Competitors have been given until Sept. 18 to make further improvements to their offers, and Boeing is looking at all options.

Boeing delivered an offer to the Brazilian Air Force in August that included full technology transfer. The offer also includes the option of Super Hornet co-production in Brazil and the sharing of technology that would allow Brazil to integrate its own weapons.

The U.S. Department of Defense, Department of State, and Congress have fully authorized and approved the Super Hornet sale to Brazil.

"The U.S. government has taken unprecedented steps to support this opportunity, both in terms of accelerating the normal approval process and in supporting Brazil’s goals for national autonomy," said Gower.

During the conference, Boeing Supplier Management leaders are meeting with representatives from Brazilian firms to discuss the requirements and certifications necessary to do business with Boeing, and to gain a better understanding of the particular standards and complexities of conducting international business in the aerospace industry.

"Boeing's goal is to assemble a supply chain that represents the very best of industry, and we see promising opportunities in Brazil," said Ron Shelley, vice president of Supplier Management & Global Sourcing for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. "Opportunities for companies in Latin America's largest nation extend far beyond the F-X2 competition to all areas of Boeing's business."

Boeing has a 100 percent success rate in conducting industrial cooperation programs in nearly 40 countries. It has completed more than $31 billion of industrial obligations on time or ahead of schedule. Boeing currently has more than 45 active industrial programs worth an additional $13 billion in more than 17 countries, representing more than a dozen Boeing products.