Beats a Rusty A-4…
By The Brazilians may finally be getting some decent aircraft for the Sao Paulo:
The Government of Brazil has requested proposals from several foreign suppliers, including the United States, to provide the next generation fighter for the Brazilian Air Force. In this “FX-2” competition, the Government of Brazil has yet to select the United States Navy-Boeing proposal. This notification is being made in advance of receipt of a letter of request so that, in the event that the US Navy-Boeing proposal is selected, the United States might move as quickly as possible to implement the sale. If the Government of Brazil selects the U.S. Navy-Boeing proposal, the Government of Brazil will request a possible sale of 28 F/A-18E Super Hornet Aircraft, eight F/A-18F Super Hornet Aircraft…
Assuming that the F/A-18 can operate off Sao Paulo (and they could operate from USS Midway, so I don’t see why not), this would transform the carrier from a curiosity into a useful unit. In particular, the F/A-18 has actual defensive capabilities, which the A-4 lacks. Of course, it’s still unclear to what use the Brazilians would put Sao Paulo.