China has proposed to the Brazilian government a deal in which China would offer Brazil J-10CE fighter jets in exchange for access to the Alcântara strategic satellite launch facility in Maranhão, near the border with Ecuador. According to the report, China has offered Brazil J-10CEs several times, but the program has not progressed due to a lack of funds and the priority of the JAS-39 Gripen, which Brazil is receiving. The new Chinese proposal concerns the allocation of a number of J-10CEs to Brazil, free of charge, in exchange for Chinese access to the Alcântara facilities. However, according to the report, the Brazilian government has not accepted the Chinese proposal, for geopolitical reasons. The Alcântara satellite launch site has the advantage of being located in an area where launching and putting a satellite into orbit requires less fuel, making it a more economical option. Such an agreement would increase China’s presence in Latin America, something that the US would certainly not see positively. The J-10CE is the export version of the J-10C, which is an improvement over the J-10B. The J-10C/CE incorporates Chinese-made AESA radars, more powerful WS-10B engines, and improved PL-15 air-to-air missiles. The J-10 first flew in 1998 and entered service in 2004.
