Brasília, 21 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Defense minister Geraldo Quintão and Air Force Chief brigadier Carlos Almeida Baptista were emphatic yesterday in guaranteeing the honesty of the process of purchasing fighter planes to substitute the Air Force's Mirages. The replacement of the Mirages with 12 to 14 new fighters is part of the Brazilian Air Force's modernization project.

The process of picking the company that will build the fighters comprises five criteria: maneuverability and load capacity; maintenance, equipment and supply, including the engine; up-to-dateness, since the fighters are supposed to last 30 years; price of add-ons, such as missiles and other weapons; and technology transfer, "which is very important for the country," Baptista asserts.

The bidding process should take 1 to 2 years, the obtaining of foreign financing, 3 to 4. Therefore, the final decision regarding the purchase of the fighters will fall to the next administration.